Three incumbent City Commissioners face electorate
The residents of Miramar will go to the polls to elect three city commissioners today, Tuesday March 14.
The electors will vote to either replace or retain three representatives of the five-seat commission in the Broward County–based city.
The three seats up for grabs are now held by Jamaican-American Winston Barnes in Seat 3, Yvette Colbourne – a Panamanian-American of Jamaican descent in Seat 2 and Maxwell Barnes, also a Jamaican-American, in Seat 1.
Haitian-American Darlene Riggs and Broward County Mayor, Wayne Messam make up the full compliment of the five-seat Commission.
Winston Barnes, a Jamaican-American, who has served the commission since 2003, is facing the two-pronged challenge of Haitian-American Dalton Jall’s Bonheur and African-American James R. Hepburn, while Chambers and Colbourne are being challenged by Jamaican-Americans, Attorney Norman Hemmings, and chiropractor Dr. Venessa Walker, respectively.
There are approximately 70,000 electors registered to cast ballots in the municipal election but voter turnout has customarily been low. All candidates are hoping that there will be a turnaround in that trend.
Miaramar is the only municipality in South Florida with an all Caribbean cast of City Commissioners.
Messam has openly endorsed the challenges of Walker against Colbourne and Jali’s Bonheur and Hepburn against Barnes, stating that he could do more with a stronger Commission.
However residents of Miramar have expressed their satisfaction with the work of the present Commission.
