Leader of Recall Joe Carollo PAC joins Miami Commission race in District 3

• Tweet
• Sumo

• Tweet

Robert “Rob” Piper, who last we heard had chaired a political action committee that tried to recall Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo in 2020, filed paperwork this week to replace him on the dais in District 3 this November.

“There didn’t seem to be a great deal of choices,” Piper, who is also president of the Democrats of Coral Way, told Political Cortadito Thursday.

Maybe he means good choices.

Read related: Denise Galvez Turros announces she’ll run for Miami Commission in District 3

The retired U.S. Marine joins a crowded field led, most notably — or notarially — by former Commissioner Frank Carollo, the current commissioner’s brother. Other announced candidates include Oscar Elio Alejandro, a U.S. Navy vet and home renter; activist Yvonne Bayona, president of the Miami Historic East Shenandoah Homeowners Association; Brenda Betancourt, president of the Calle Ocho Inter-American Chamber of Commerce and a frequent speaker at commission meetings; Rolando Escalona, who is the manager of Sexy Fish Miami and a sleeper candidate; and Little Havana activist and booster Denise Galvez Turros, a PR marketing guru who served on the city’s Historic Preservation committee and ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2017.

But the qualification deadline is in September. Some of these people may drop out. Others may join.

Read related: Miami city attorneys conspired, created ‘cheat sheet’ to stop Joe Carollo recall

Piper was chair of Take Back Our City, the PAC that collected and filed more than 1,900 petition signatures to recall Carollo five years ago. The recall was legally challenged by the city on three fronts: that the submission of the petitions on Feb. 29, 2020 was improper because (1) the city does not recognize electronic filings, (2) it was not submitted by the chair and (3) a subsequent hand delivered submission of the petitions on March 2, 2020, was late because the first signature was obtained Jan. 31, 2020, so the window was missed for the completion.

According to the paperwork filed with the city clerk March 13, Piper lives at a home on 17th Terrace that he purchased in 2012 for $275,000. The assessed value today is $550,700 and the market value is $728,500.

But he does not claim a homestead exemption. He says that is because he has tenants in two in-law units that came with his property when he bought it. Records with the Miami-Dade clerk’s office shows he evicted one of those tenants last May.

Piper also has a Washington, D.C., area code on his cellphone. It is where he was stationed before he moved here in 2012.

The election for District 3 is in November. The next deadline to report campaign contributions and expenses is June 30. It will be the first report filed by Piper and Galvez.

There are so many important elections this year. Help Ladra stay on top of every new development with a contribution to Political Cortadito today. Thank you for supporting independent, grassroots journalism.

  Denise Galvez, Frank Carollo, Miami elections