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Alvarez: Community Faces Significant Service Cuts

MIAMI (CBS4) - A humbled former Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez made his first public comments Wednesday since voters overwhelmingly decided to throw him out of office with 18 months left in his term.

"To say that the last 24 hours have been difficult is an understatement," Alvarez said when the news conference started. "It's been extremely difficult, not only in the last 24 hours, but the last couple of years."

Alvarez and the county government faced fiscal challenges that have not been seen in years since his term began. Miami-Dade County has been trying to reconcile cutting services versus increasing taxes to help sustain services.

"We've had to make up for a huge budget gap the last couple of years here in Miami-Dade County and it's been extremely difficult trying to keep services together so that the citizens of Miami-Dade County get the services that they demand," said Alvarez.

The most recent budget battle was the end of the road for Alvarez. Voters were angered when the budget raised some property taxes by up to 14 percent while keeping raises intact for county workers. Alvarez said in the last four budget years, the county has "had to make up over a billion dollars in budget gaps."

Still, Alvarez sounded confused as to the real motivation behind his ousting.

"For those of you who were at the budget meetings, over 200 people spoke and I would say at least 90 percent were for the budget," Alvarez said. "I can also tell you, that every time in this administration that because of budgetary reasons we have cut services. I can tell you people want services. The reality is, there's just so much you can cut."

Alvarez said he was well aware of the firestorm that would erupt when he proposed what turned out to be his last budget.

"I knew when I made and recommended the budget that there were going to be some problems, and I was told that," Alvarez said. "I still did it because I thought it was in the best interest of the citizens of Miami-Dade County. Obviously I was wrong."

Alvarez did say that the voters "made it crystal clear" the direction they want the county to proceed. He said it was clear the voters "want smaller government and that's what they'll get, but they'll get it at a price."

"The next mayor will have a clear understanding as to decisions that he or she will have to make. Its not going to be easy for the community to accept it," Alvarez said. "They're going to have to be hit with the reality of significant service cuts."

But, Alvarez came back to the same point several times through his statement and during a question and answer session. He said that he didn't make a mistake in his last budget when compared to the cuts that were needed.

"When you are looking at the numbers and the decisions you would have had to make, quite frankly I couldn't have lived with that either," Alvarez opined. "The system works because I wasn't willing to do what the majority of the voters want."

Alvarez said that he currently has no plans for life outside of public office. He said that both his job as Mayor and formerly as head of the police department were not easy. But, he said he wasn't sure his next job would include public service.

One element to Alvarez that rubbed many in the community the wrong way was that he, to them, displayed an aura of arrogance. Alvarez was asked about that and he said he couldn't explain it without sounding arrogant.

"I didn't make a mistake, it cost me my job, but I have to live with myself too," Alvarez said. "Would I have recommended the cuts I would have had to make, no. If that makes me arrogant, then."

Alvarez was asked near the end of his press conference whether drastic cuts will be needed when the next mayor comes into office. Alvarez offered up a warning to the next mayor.

"The new mayor, he's going to have to look at cutting services. And the union contracts are over on September 30," Alvarez said. "Want to talk about salaries? The new mayor is going to have a perfect opportunity to get involved in collective bargaining. We will see how easy it is to get all these concession."

Alvarez said that he doesn't support term limits, but did say that he does think there is a place for district commissioners and at large commissioners. Alvarez believes there could be a combination of both without diluting representation for minorities.

As he ended the press conference, Alvarez said that he wished he had stayed in office for the last 18 months of his term.

"I want to thank the citizens of Miami-Dade County for giving me the opportunity to serve them for the past 35 years," Alvarez said. "I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart."

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