Bay Harbor Islands Council Election
Our annual municipal election will take place on Tuesday, April 2nd. If you are not already properly registered to vote with a residential address in Bay Harbor Islands, you may obtain a registration form at Town Hall or at any state Driver’s License office. Under state law, the books close to new registrations 29 days prior to the election (March 4th). If you already have a current Miami-Dade County voter’s registration card with the proper address, you need not re-register. If you are not sure your registration is current, call Miami-Dade County Elections Department at 305-499-8683 or email at register@miamidade.gov
For new voter registration, a resident must be at least 18 years of age and be a citizen of the United States. There is no minimum residency requirement for registration. Now you can register on-line if you visit the Miami Dade County Elections website, http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/voter-registration.asp. If you will be unable to go to the polls on the day of the Town election, vote-by-mail ballots may be requested by calling the Miami-Dade County Elections Department at 305-499-8444, or on-line when you visit the county’s elections website. Mail ballots must be returned no later than 7:00 p.m. of the day of the election.
Two seats on the Town Council will come up for vote in the April 2nd election (Isaac Salver and Robert Yaffe). If you wish to become a candidate for a Town Council seat, file with the Town Clerk during regular business hours at Town Hall after 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 21st and before 5 p.m. on Friday, March 1st. To qualify you must be a registered voter and have been a Bay Harbor resident for at least 12 months.
Each Town Council member is elected by the voters of the Town for a 4-year term of office. These terms of office are staggered so that only two Council members run for office each year (with only one seat open each fourth year). This system provides for stability and continuity in our Town Government. Each Council member receives a salary of $1 per year, which is traditionally donated to a charitable cause.
The Town Council meets on a regular basis, on the second Monday evening of the month, at least ten (10) times per year. In addition, the Council members spend many hours at various committee, board, workshops, and special meetings. By state law, all meetings are open to the public, and members of the community are encouraged to attend meetings to be informed on issues concerning our community.
More information will be provided in the next issue of the newsletter. You can also visit the Town’s website for updated information on the upcoming elections, https://www.bayharborislands-fl.gov/elections.
Seeking Volunteer For New Town Committee
The Town Council approved the creation of a new citizen’s committee, the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee. The committee will address issues related to the environment and disaster preparedness. If you are interested in volunteering to serve, please submit a letter of interest and resume to the Town Clerk Marlene Siegel. For more information please e-mail Marlene at msiegel@bayharborislands-fl.gov or call the Clerk’s Office at 305-866-6241.
BHI Council Members Lead Florida League Legislature Conference
The 58th Annual Florida League of Cities Legislative Conference was recently held in Orlando. At the conference, each of the League’s five legislative policy committees met to decide upon a policy direction for the Florida League of Cities’ 2018-2019 legislative efforts. Three members of the Bay Harbor Islands Town Council served on policy committees at this year’s Conference – Vice Mayor Joshua Fuller, Land Use & Economic Development; Council Member Robert Yaffe, Finance, Taxation and Personnel Policy; and Council Member Leonard, Municipal Administration. Council Member Leonard also moderated a panel on Top 10 strategies to Obtain Federal Funds.
The recommended legislative priorities sent forward by each committee were then reviewed by the Legislative Committee, chaired this year by First Vice President of the Florida League, BHI Council Member Isaac Salver. Based on this review, the Legislative Committee votes on a proposed Legislative Action Agenda, which is then submitted to the full League membership for its consideration and adoption. This past year marked 50 years of Home Rule in the State of Florida. We applaud the continued efforts of our Town Council Members to give of their time and talents to protect the right of Towns to self-govern.
