MIAMI (WSVN) - Newly-elected officials in Miami-Dade and Broward counties have been sworn into office, including the first female mayor in Miami-Dade County history.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was sworn into office on Tuesday, and she said one of her first focuses as mayor is the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am ready to confront this crisis and to lead our community through this difficult chapter,” Levine Cava said.
The Miami-Dade County Commission also got younger after Raquel Regalado was elected to the commission. Beyond the coronavirus pandemic, the board will tackle other issues, such as a struggling economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism.
“We all talked about change. We all talked about momentum,” Regalado said. “The cruise industry in Miami-Dade County currently has over 150,000 people without work, and we have to deal with that. There are other opportunities, you know, the film industry, for example. There’s other things that we can do, and we need to shift gears.”
From economics to a suffocating Biscayne Bay, an ecosystem hit hard by a fish kill a few months ago.
“We are already working on a board item for debate, specifically inspections for septic tanks, so that we can move forward with the mandate for septic to sewers,” Regalado said. “The earlier commission already made it a priority, so we’re already working on that.”
The gavel has been passed in Broward County also, and COVID-19 is a priority for incoming Mayor Steve Geller.
“We have two options in front of us and only two options,” Geller said. “We can either shut down businesses, which I am opposed to, or we can wear masks.”
Geller has asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue a statewide mask mandate to curb the spread of the virus.
“It is my belief, based on the science, that if everybody would start wearing masks, we can avoid widespread shutdown,” Geller said.
The mayor said he is also looking to tackle income inequality in his county.
“My single biggest priority is bringing high-paying jobs to Broward County,” Geller said.
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