Matti Herrera Bower
Encyclopedia
Matti Herrera Bower is a Cuba
n-born American
politician
and retired dental assistant
. Bower has been elected to three two-year terms as the Mayor
of Miami Beach, Florida
, beginning in 2007. Most recently, Bower won re-election to her third and final term on November 1, 2011. She is the first woman, as well as the first Hispanic
, to serve as Mayor of Miami Beach. She is a Democrat, though Miami Beach elections are nonpartisan
.
Bower was born in Cuba
and immigrated to the United States
. She attended Miami Technical High School and became a dental assistant
. Bower also spent decades as a local activist and preservationist
, including advocacy for the successful preservation of the Miami Beach Architectural District
.
Bower served as a Miami Beach city commissioner
from 1999 to 2007 before being elected mayor of the South Florida city in 2007. She won re-election to a second term in 2009. The city of Miami Beach received a bond rating upgrade in 2010 and saw a balanced budget
that same year under Bower. However, pension
costs have risen to more than $50 million in 2011, up from just $3.5 million in 2000. She has also dealt with controversy surrounding Urban Beach Week.
In 2011, Bower announced her re-election campaign for a third, and final, term as Mayor of Miami Beach. (Mayors are term limited to three, two-year terms in office). Bower, who was 72 years old in November 2011, faced three opponents in the election
: comedian
Steve Berke, entrepreneur
Dave Crystal, and public relations
practitioner Laura Rivero Levey.
Bower was easily re-elected to a third term on November 1, 2011. She won 59.4% of the popular vote, or 4,103 votes. Her closest opponent, comedian and Yale University
graduate Steve Berke, garnered 23.38%, or 1,614.
Matti Herrera Bower was sworn into her third mayoral term on November 2, 2011.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and retired dental assistant
Dental assistant
Dental assistants assist the dental operator provide more efficient dental treatment, by preparing the patient for treatment, sterilizing instruments, passing instruments during the procedure, holding a suction device, exposing dental radiographs, taking impressions, and fabricating provisional...
. Bower has been elected to three two-year terms as the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, beginning in 2007. Most recently, Bower won re-election to her third and final term on November 1, 2011. She is the first woman, as well as the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, to serve as Mayor of Miami Beach. She is a Democrat, though Miami Beach elections are nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
.
Bower was born in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She attended Miami Technical High School and became a dental assistant
Dental assistant
Dental assistants assist the dental operator provide more efficient dental treatment, by preparing the patient for treatment, sterilizing instruments, passing instruments during the procedure, holding a suction device, exposing dental radiographs, taking impressions, and fabricating provisional...
. Bower also spent decades as a local activist and preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
, including advocacy for the successful preservation of the Miami Beach Architectural District
Miami Beach Architectural District
The Miami Beach Architectural District is a U.S. historic district located in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida...
.
Bower served as a Miami Beach city commissioner
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
from 1999 to 2007 before being elected mayor of the South Florida city in 2007. She won re-election to a second term in 2009. The city of Miami Beach received a bond rating upgrade in 2010 and saw a balanced budget
Balanced budget
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit or a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure – particularly by a government. More generally, it refers to when there is no deficit, but possibly a surplus...
that same year under Bower. However, pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
costs have risen to more than $50 million in 2011, up from just $3.5 million in 2000. She has also dealt with controversy surrounding Urban Beach Week.
In 2011, Bower announced her re-election campaign for a third, and final, term as Mayor of Miami Beach. (Mayors are term limited to three, two-year terms in office). Bower, who was 72 years old in November 2011, faced three opponents in the election
Miami Beach mayoral election, 2011
The 2011 Miami Beach mayoral election, a nonpartisan race, was held on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Incumbent Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, who was first elected in 2007, won a third and final two-year term...
: comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Steve Berke, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Dave Crystal, and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
practitioner Laura Rivero Levey.
Bower was easily re-elected to a third term on November 1, 2011. She won 59.4% of the popular vote, or 4,103 votes. Her closest opponent, comedian and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
graduate Steve Berke, garnered 23.38%, or 1,614.
Matti Herrera Bower was sworn into her third mayoral term on November 2, 2011.