The 3 biggest criticisms about Jay Chernoff's actions while he was in NMB government: He faced conflict of interest questions as a realtor, blocked putting important development plans on the ballot and supported BUILDING A WALL around his neighborhood.
Jay Chernoff claims there were no scandals in his nearly 2 decades in office but we know better. His personal actions of under-reporting income that caused the IRS to go after him for evading taxes, giving himself and his family millions in free healthcare and letting the NMB Water utility to fall into disrepair while employees embezzled millions for years are legendary.
His scandals aside, what did he actually do as an elected official?
• Like his biggest supporter, Mayor Anthony Defillipo, Chernoff too is a real estate broker that was confronted with conflict-of-interest questions.
While Chernoff was on the city commission, the city sought an opinion from the County Ethics Commission on whether Chernoff could vote on a proposed land deal because the seller was represented by the Aventura office of Coldwell Banker Real Estate — at the time, Chernoff
was manager of Coldwell Banker’s Broward office. [Email from Victoria Frigo, Staff Attorney, Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics, 6/16/08. See 08-107_edwards.pdf ]
• Chernoff opposed plan to give North Miami Beach voters a say over major developments.
Mayor, residents wanted to give voters final say over major developments that went beyond height limits. “Despite pleas from development-wary homeowners, the North Miami Beach Council
Tuesday decided against putting a measure on the ballot that would have given voters a bigger say in zoning decisions. Mayor Jeffrey Mishcon wanted residents to determine in August whether voters should be able to decide if developers can build beyond the city's height and density
limits.” [Miami Herald, 4/25/05]
But Chernoff and his allies on the council nixed the mayor’s proposal, taking power away from voters — and keeping it for themselves. “Right now, the council determines whether builders can exceed the laws - which currently allow for 15-story buildings with 32 units an acre. The city’s tallest building, the Union Planter's Bank, built in 1965 at 699 North Miami Beach Blvd., has only 12 stories. ‘This is a biggie,’ said Mishcon, who sponsored the ordinance. ‘We ought to leave this up to the people.’ But commissioners split the vote 3 to 3, with council members Jay Chernoff, Kenneth De Fillipo and Raymond Marin voting against it.” [Miami Herald, 4/25/05]
• Chernoff Supported a $3 Million Plan to Build A Wall Around His Neighborhood to Keep Out the Riffraff
Price tag for guard gate, patrols around Skylake was put at $3 million for two years. “The thorny issue of guard gates in a Northeast Miami-Dade neighborhood has been resurrected after laying dormant for several years. Residents of the Skylake neighborhood … gathered Tuesday at
Michael M. Krop Senior High to hear a presentation from Bert Carlton of Miami-Dade Public Works Department on the proposed enclosure. If the plan is ultimately approved by residents, more than 630 homes — in an area north of Miami Gardens Drive, between Northeast 18th and 22nd
avenues —would be gated off. The gates and accompanying fees, which include a 24-hour roaming off-duty police officer, would cost the community about $3 million in the first two years.” [Miami Herald, 1/21/07]
North Miami Beach voters deserve to know the truth before they vote in the upcoming November 22nd run-off election between the “Wake Up NMB” candidate Jay Chernoff and the incumbent Commissioner Paule Villard.
Before you vote, learn the truth here at NMBTruth.com.
Racism in North Miami Beach? Yes, I believe so. After seeing how Ric-Man, the contractors hired by the Miami Dade Commissioners office to do the Waste Water Transmission Line, installing 60 inch concrete cylinders underground, has messed up our streets. They all speak spanish and what a coincidence that the only two houses on this side of NE 160th street that didn't have to have their yards messed up, grass removed and nice palm trees cut down are the only two Spanish home owners at 1615 NE 160th and 1645 NE 160th. Somebody got paid! That is racism! And Spanish people got the Nerve to be racist when they aren't even white!!! According to the Federal Racial Classification Standards the…