Miami Beach voters will make key decisions Tuesday about whether to withdraw the last call to bars and restaurants and who will run the city for the next two years.
In the final issue of the call, voters will decide whether the city should consider stopping alcohol sales at 2 a.m. instead of 5 a.m.
Many people in the hospitality industry have come out against the ballot because they are concerned about how it could affect their income.
Those who stop selling at 2 a.m. say they are concerned about crime as Ocean Drive and the city’s entertainment district have been plagued by mounting violence for at least eight years.
The city has tried to curb the violence with ordinances and increased police presence, but some who support the recent recall, including Mayor Dan Gelber, believe this could help.
“Most bars and restaurants don’t open until after 2am, most of them close, there are really only a few and the few that do create a lot of mess,” said Gelber.
Gelber, meanwhile, faces re-election on Tuesday, with four candidates trying to remove him.
The mayor was recently criticized after audio leaked talking to private developers about rebuilding Ocean Drive.
The four candidates who challenge Gelber – Jean Marie Echemendia, Ronnie Eith, Carlos Enrique Gutierrez, and Gus Manessis – all disagree with his approach to clean up the entertainment district.
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