Remaining name: Miami Seashore voters need the get together to finish at 2 a.m. That is a superb factor
OPINION AND COMMENT
Editorials and other opinion pieces offer perspectives on topics that are important to our community and are independent of the work of our editors.
Protesters gathered in South Beach last month ahead of a press conference by Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber and former Mayor Philip Levine. The protesters, who claimed to be employed in the hospitality industry, expressed their opposition to a proposed 2 a.m. ban on alcohol sales, which Gelber supports. The measure was approved by voters on Tuesday.
The most controversial question in the Miami Beach election on Tuesday asked Miami Beach residents: Do you want a 2am break to sell alcohol in town?
Right now, liquor flows into a handful of popular clubs and bars, like Clevelander and Mango’s Tropical Cafe on Ocean Drive, until 5 a.m.
The issue divided local residents, club owners and politicians.
But on Tuesday the residents answered with a resounding yes. Put a cap on these bottles. You’ve had enough of partying, they said.
And we don’t blame them.
The vote is a surprising change in public opinion. When voters were asked the same question four years ago, the measure lost 65%. Another story Tuesday night.
Unfortunately, there has been too much crime and mayhem related to South Beach since then. Those who live within the city limits obviously have enough.
The vote is a victory for Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. It was a non-binding vote, but it’s still a powerful symbolic victory for the party’s go-away supporters. Club owners invested a lot of money to thwart the move, but they wreaked too much havoc to be guilty.
Now Gelber has the thumbs up to move forward on a mission to transform South Beach into an art and culture anchored “live work-play” area. This straw bale victory offers the chance to develop further. We would advise cautiously.
As we urged in a recent editorial, we ask the Mayor to chair a high-level meeting with all stakeholders, including club owners, to find a solution that works for everyone and allows exceptions.
Homeless Tax:
In a close race, Miami Beach voters voted for a referendum that will pave the way for a new 1% tax on food and drink sales in Miami Beach. Restaurants in hotels and motels are excluded.
The new tax money will be added to the coffers of the district’s homeless fund. Some of the money would also go to a domestic violence center.
We commend Miami Beach voters for essentially voting to tax themselves.
The city commission will now pass a resolution to urge the Florida legislature to allow the money to be confiscated.
Why Are Miami Beach Diners Selected To Pay This Homeless Tax?
In 1993, Miami-Dade voters agreed to pay the tax, but Miami Beach, Surfside, and Bal Harbor were exempt because they already had restaurant taxes intended for city services.
The question of fairness has arisen and the head of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, Ron Book, has personally asked the Miami Beach Commission to put the question on the ballot.
The “yes” vote allows Florida lawmakers to officially require Miami Beach to pay the 1% food and beverage sales tax, meaning nearly another $ 5 million to go to the Trust, to end homelessness in the county.
Lease and extension of the Holocaust memorial:
Voters voted by a wide margin to extend the lease of the city’s Holocaust memorial to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation from 2099 to 2120 and to let the memorial grow.
Voter approval paves the way for the memorial to expand its education center to an adjacent municipal parking lot along Dade Boulevard and Meridian Avenue. This will not cost the taxpayer a cent, as the federal government finances the memorial.
Good move by Miami Beach voters to protect the monument’s future.
Smith & Wollensky rental:
Voters easily agreed to extend the city’s lease for Smith & Wollensky, a popular steak house in South Pointe Park.
Since the current lease expires in November 2025, the restaurant applied for an extension until 2045.
In return, the eatery promises to fund a $ 3.3 million upgrade and increase its rent by 2.5% annually, or $ 11.6 million for the first 10 years, as well as other perks.
As long as the restaurant is profitable this is a better financial deal for the city.
Voters did the right thing to vote for this new deal. structure
This story was originally published November 3, 2021 3:22 AM.
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