For Miami Beach Commission Group IV, better candidate has a clear view of future | Opinion

Miami Beach residents are poised to see not just a change of faces among their commissioners on the dais. They also may witness a change in philosophy. The Editorial Board interviewed candidates seeking three commission seats and the mayors’ post, several of who are more conservative, law-and-order, the-party’s-really-over, even though commission seats are nonpartisan.

They are focused, too, on the Beach’s endemic challenges: traffic, development, short-term rentals, crime and, of course, the “party,” that crush of tourists who are making South Beach an unattractive place for residents to enjoy.

Group IV

Two long-time Miami Beach activists are vying to replace Steven Meiner, who is running for mayor: Tanya Katzoff Bhatt, a marketing and branding specialist, and Andres Asion, a real estate broker whose family has resided on the Beach since the 1960s.

Katzoff Bhatt initially filed in February to run in Group V, then switched in April to Group VI — a seat soon being vacated by David Richardson — before ultimately moving to Group IV.

Both candidates are well-versed in what ails Miami Beach and have ideas for fixing it. Katzoff Bhatt, who is taking time off from her marketing career to run for public office, is vice chair of the Miami Beach Planning Board, and a board member of the Miami Design Preservation League, where she is the current vice chair of construction. That gives puts her on the front lines of addressing one of the city’s most challenging problems: overdevelopment. Her experience is a plus.

Asion, who entered politics working as an administrative assistant for former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez and has a larger campaign war chest than Katzoff Bhatt, has his own company, Miami Real Estate Group, and owns several properties on Miami Beach. He says he is a philanthropist with his own foundation. He is concerned that voters might view him as being on the side of developers, which he clarified for the Board.

“First of all, I would like voters to understand that this is my hometown I will not support irresponsible growth in the city that I love,” Asion said.

Both candidates have original ideas on addressing traffic, overdevelopment, public safety, workforce housing shortages — and the dreaded spring break. Asion would support an alcohol ban on the beach and enforce it by staging officers along beach entry points.

Katzoff Bhatt, a North Beach resident, says the city can change its “party till you drop” image by overhauling its advertising nationwide and internationally. “This is a conversation about elevating our brand. I can tell you that Miami Beach is a brand that most of us would give body parts for and we are squandering it.

She says the city should promote its arts and culture destinations first and foremost.

“We should not spend money advertising to college kids; instead, we say to families, ‘Come here to Miami Beach and have a fantastic time.’ If we do that, we will change the vibe of what happens here during spring break. “

That sounds like a plan the city can try to end spring break, although many others have tried and failed.

On traffic, Asion told the Board of his push to modify the lanes of the 395 extension, now under construction, to ease traffic entering and leaving South Beach. Katzoff Bhatt wants to investigate the possibility of preventing certain Miami Beach bridges from opening during morning and afternoon rush-hour traffic.

Both candidates were asked to refute attacks on the campaigns they consider false. Katzoff Bhatt told the Board she rejects the idea that she’s part of a slate of candidates aligned with Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez.

“I am independent. And I choose to be that way because I want to be able to make the best decisions for my constituents,” she told the Board. “It’s been said of me that I’m not wanted on the commission because I cannot be controlled and I cannot be bought. I find that the highest praise, which is 100% true.”

Asion says he is being mistakenly labeled a Donald Trump supporter because he once posed for a photo with the former president during a real estate deal and is being painted as being anti-LGBTQ issues, which he denies. He also bills himself as an “independent” voice for the City Commission.

Overall, Katzoff Bhatt has a sharper, clearer view of what Miami Beach needs. We think she is a grassroots candidate who will be a truer voice for the residents of Miami Beach.

The Herald recommends TANYA KATZOFF BHATT for Miami Beach Commission Group IV.