Miami-Dade Mayor Ousted

Carlos Alvarez recalled by huge margin
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 15, 2011 10:44 PM CDT
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez
Billionaire car dealer Norman Braman talks to the media in Miami yesterday.   (AP Photo)

An overwhelming majority of voters in Miami-Dade county have decided to chuck their mayor out of office before the end of his term. Almost 90% of voters chose to oust Carlos Alvarez in the biggest recall of a local politician in American history, the Miami Herald reports. Alvarez, a Republican, was elected to a second term in 2008 but his popularity crumbled after a series of missteps, including a massively unpopular 14% hike in property taxes.

Billionaire businessman Norman Braman launched the campaign to recall Alvarez. "County voters have demonstrated by their ballot that they are tired of unaccountable officials, of being ignored, and of being over-taxed in this very difficult recessionary time,’’ Braman said after elections results came in. “We’ve empowered the people of this county to take back the government and ask the government to be responsive to the people.” He urged county commissioners to call an election for a new mayor instead of appointing a replacement. (More Carlos Alvarez stories.)

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