The North Miami mayor has been disqualified from running for re-election this November.
According to court records, Mayor Alix Desulme did not properly pay certain fees.
Those records show Desulme did not use a check that drew money directly from his campaign account, which is required by state law. Instead, he used a cashier’s check to pay qualifying fees and was 80 cents short.
Miami-Dade County published a notice to North Miami voters on their website that reads: “A candidate in the race for office of MAYOR has been disqualified, resulting in an unopposed candidate race. A vote cast in this race will not change the outcome as the remaining candidate is deemed by law to be elected for that race.”
In a statement, the mayor’s attorney Benedict P. Kuehne said:
“Mayor Desulme is disappointed with today’s ruling disqualifying him from seeking reelection. He followed all requirements of the North Miami Code pertaining to elections. His opponent’s late filing after the qualifying period has closed is an unfair afford to sabotage the election process, undermine democracy, and prevent voters from casting ballots for their Mayor. He intends to appeal.”