Nov. 10: Dade Bungled Scheduling Of Property Appraiser's Race

By Sylvia Gurinsky

During the Jan. 29 presidential primary, voters in Miami-Dade County approved a measure to make the county property appraiser's position elected, rather than appointed.

County commissioners could have put the race on the ballot in August, which would have meant the runoff would have occurred last Tuesday. Instead, they put it on last Tuesday's ballot. Because they did, Dade voters will probably have to schlep to the polls for the fourth time this year - for a runoff next month that will cost the county up to $3.5 million at a time when every dollar counts.

The runoff may be a moot point if candidate Gwen Margolis wins her lawsuit to be declared the winner of last Tuesday's contest:

http://cbs4.com/local/gwen.margolis.miami.2.860958.html

But the scheduling illustrates that Miami-Dade still has a ways to go to make sure the election process is 100 percent efficient - and cost-effective.