‘He put people first.’ Opa-locka Commissioner Alvin Burke dead at 67
At the next Opa-locka City Commission meeting, the fighting spirit of Alvin Burke — a mainstay in the community long before holding local office — will be missed.
Burke succumbed to cancer on Wednesday, Opa-locka City Manager John Pate announced on Facebook. He was 67.
The commissioner’s death leaves a void in the community, as well as on the city commission, which must now find someone to serve the remainder of his term.
“He was a one-of-a-kind individual, an upstanding citizen, a veteran of this country who truly epitomized what it meant to be a patriot,” Pate told the Miami Herald.
A U.S. Navy veteran and Miami-Dade correctional officer turned activist, Burke worked tirelessly for the betterment of Opa-locka. His 2018 election was a culmination of years of dedication to the community, having attended every city commission meeting since at least 2008, according to The Miami Times.
“Commissioner Burke had a true passion for serving the City of Opa-locka community,” Opa-locka Mayor Matthew Pigatt said via text. “He put people first. We are a stronger, more inclusive community because of his dedicated public service.”
Prior to joining the city commission, Burke was outspoken about the corruption that plagued the city for years. He ran for office several times, losing every race until finally breaking through in 2018, which he viewed as a major step toward changing the public’s perception of Opa-locka.
“Our citizens turned it around,” Burke told The Miami Times in 2018. “Y’all wanted a change. You voted for change, and you got change.”
Burke’s advocacy extended far past opposing the past city commission’s corruption. He also served as president of the Opa-locka Booster Club, led the charge to create the Opa-locka Police Department and fought for better drainage of city streets. Burke was even the person who encouraged Pigatt to get involved in politics, the mayor told the Miami Herald.
Elected to serve four years on the city’s five-member commission, Burke died with more than a year left on his term, leaving his surviving colleagues and voters to find a replacement.
The commission has 30 days to nominate someone to fill the vacancy, per the Opa-locka city charter. That person will serve until the next countywide election, scheduled for November 2022, during which constituents will choose Burke’s successor .
Regardless of the selection, the next commissioner could struggle to live up to Burke’s lasting legacy.
“I don’t believe there will be anybody who will be able to fill his shoes on the commission,” Pate said.
