According to a criticism submitted to the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust and copied by way of e mail to the mayor and metropolis commissioners, DeFillipo is residing in a Broward County neighborhood in Davie, about 15 miles away from North Miami Beach.
“[DeFillipo] is mendacity to the general public and metropolis of North Miami Beach officers by not declaring his true place of residence after having moved to a brand new house (in one other municipality),” alleges the criticism, a duplicate of which was obtained by New Times.
Broward property information point out that the Davie property is a $1.2 million house positioned within the new Sierra Ranches neighborhood.
According to Chapter 7 of North Miami Beach’s municipal code, a candidate for mayor or metropolis fee should “be a bona fide resident of the City of North Miami Beach and categorical an intent to stay completely a bona fide resident of the City throughout your complete time period of workplace for which she or he is a candidate.”
The constitution defines “bona fide residence” as “a everlasting, mounted place of domicile throughout the City of North Miami Beach, to the exclusion of all different locations.”
Additionally, “Should any elected official of the City of North Miami Beach, throughout his time period of workplace, change his bona fide residence from inside to with out the City of North Miami Beach, his seat…shall be mechanically vacated and forfeited.”
In response to requests for remark for this story, DeFillipo informed New Times that his North Miami Beach rental handle is on file with the town and is public document. He known as the allegations a “false and slanderous pack of falsehoods” and prompt that they have been fabricated by his political enemies.
“Let me be clear and respectfully say that I’ve by no means modified my residence in NMB, my handle is public document within the metropolis and takes 5 minutes to get and I’ve by no means voted illegally or violated any legal guidelines,” DeFillipo wrote by way of textual content message. “My focus is on fixing the town’s issues.”
The subject of the mayor’s place of residence sparked controversy Tuesday evening throughout a metropolis assembly, when commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond introduced on the dais that he and different metropolis officers acquired a duplicate of the ethics criticism.
“I don’t wish to vote on issues after I really feel there’s a query in regards to the mayor’s residency,” Fleurimond stated.
DeFillipo responded to the claims, encouraging residents to “keep your faith” and know “their mayor is their mayor.” He stated his members of the family “have been pillars of this neighborhood for the reason that Fifties.”
The mayor added that he invests in a number of properties in South Florida. “This is my livelihood. It’s what I live from… I buy, sell, and invest,” the mayor said.
“I am very shocked that my fellow commissioner has taken this attitude and posture,” he added.
DeFillipo was born in North Miami Beach and served on the town fee for 5 years earlier than working for mayor. When he ran for commissioner in 2013, his major residence was a single-family home not removed from Greynolds Park Elementary School.
DeFillipo offered that house in December 2021. A monetary report filed with the town this previous summer season lists the mayor’s new residence as a rental on NE a hundred and seventieth Street in North Miami Beach. Broward County property information present that the mayor bought the single-family house in Davie in July of this 12 months.
Records from the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, present DeFillipo just lately solid ballots in North Miami Beach, together with within the 2022 major and common elections.
DeFillipo, who leads the roughly 5.3-square mile, 44,000-resident metropolis in northeast Miami-Dade, additionally serves because the liaison for the town’s planning-and-zoning and employee-pension boards. According to his bio on the town’s web site, the mayor is a former native enterprise proprietor and present affiliate and property administration director at an area realty group.
He was elected mayor in 2018 after his predecessor, George Vallejo, resigned whereas dealing with costs of violating state campaign-finance legal guidelines. DeFillipo was re-elected in 2020.
Controversies involving elected officers accused of dwelling outdoors the realm they symbolize aren’t unusual in Florida.
Just this previous June, Mike Williams resigned from his submit as Jacksonville’s sheriff after the Tributary, a regional journalism collective, discovered that he had moved to Nassau County in violation of residency guidelines. And in Alachua County, at the least two elected officers –– a metropolis commissioner and a faculty board member –– resigned over the summer season after they have been present in violation of residency necessities.