The controversy at North Miami Beach City Hall shows no signs of slowing.
Following a contentious and closely watched city manager selection process, city commissioners last month voted to refer an independent investigative report outlining allegations against Mayor Michael Joseph to state authorities for further review.
The 32-page interim report, prepared by the ALGO Law Firm and dated Feb. 16, details allegations from city employees describing potential violations of the city charter, procurement policies, and public records laws. Commissioners voted to send the report to the State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Commission on Ethics, requesting review to determine whether Joseph’s actions may constitute ethics or criminal violations.
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North Miami Beach commissioners and Mayor Michael Joseph discuss the investigation during the Feb. 17 meeting.
ALLEGATIONS
The investigation was launched Jan. 20 after the commission directed then-interim city manager Andrew Plotkin to retain outside counsel to examine whether elected officials had improperly interfered in administrative operations.
According to the report, several employees alleged Joseph bypassed the city’s commission-manager form of government by directly contacting staff about procurement matters and vendor selection.
One employee alleged that Joseph “contacted him by phone and requested that he alter the official interview recordings for City Manager candidate Marline Monestime.” The report states the mayor’s alleged demands included disconnecting recording equipment and editing official recordings — an accusation that, if substantiated, could implicate Florida public records laws.
The report also alleges Joseph inappropriately influenced vendor selections and scrutinized travel expenses tied to his June/July 2025 trip to Japan. It notes an airline upgrade to first class that resulted in a charge “in excess of $3,000 to the City,” potentially inconsistent with city travel policy.
In its conclusion, the law firm wrote that the cumulative allegations place the city at “substantial legal, financial, and ethical risk” and recommended further review by outside authorities.
COMMISSIONERS’ DEBATE
Commissioners spent more than two hours of a six-hour meeting discussing the investigation. Commissioner Lynn Su, who introduced the resolution, emphasized that the action was procedural, not punitive.
“I’m bringing up this resolution tonight with a serious sense of duty to this body and to our city,” Su said. “This is not about politics, it’s about responsibility. When an independent investigative report is placed before us outlining credible concerns, we do not get to look the other way. We have to respond.”
Su stressed that the resolution does not constitute a criminal finding or removal from office.
“What it does not do — it does not make a criminal finding, it does not remove anyone from office, and it does not replace independent review,” she said. “The resolution refers the matter to the appropriate independent authorities. That step is important. It protects due process. It ensures impartial review, and it protects the city as an institution.”
Commissioner Jay Chernoff said the allegations were troubling.
“What is in this report unveils very wrong things that are going on here,” Chernoff said. “The employees have suffered, and the employees are afraid to talk and had talked in this report, and we need to deal with it.”
Joseph voted in favor of sending the report to state authorities.
“For all transparency and for my own peace of mind, I want to clear this up,” he said. “That’s why I’m saying let’s push this through. I really want to get a unanimous approach to this.”
MAYOR’S STANCE
Joseph has strongly denied the allegations and criticized the process behind the report.
“First there was a threat on my life and now this,” Joseph said in a statement provided to Biscayne Times. “I have done nothing wrong, and now taxpayers are on the hook for $50,000 for a 32-page report produced in about two weeks and likely with the assistance of ChatGPT. That $50k price tag is more than many families in our community earn in a year. It’s crazy and wasteful spending.”
Joseph argued he was not allowed to respond during the investigation.
“There was no due process given. I was never interviewed, never given the opportunity to respond, and yet the report barrels ahead with conclusions built on rumors, assumptions, and lies,” he said.
He added that he supports having the matter reviewed by outside agencies.
“I am confident that when the dust settles, the facts will speak for themselves,” Joseph said. “My focus remains on serving the people of North Miami Beach and moving this city forward.”
Joseph drew parallels to a past controversy under former Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, tied to a 2023 report that claimed over $1.3 million in improper purchasing card transactions. An operational audit by the State of Florida found oversight issues but no evidence of criminal theft.
In 2025, the city reviewed purchase card transactions from April 2020 to April 2023 and concluded that 99% were valid. The city eventually settled a lawsuit with former city manager Arthur "Duke" Sorey III, who faced allegations of misusing taxpayer funds during his tenure.
Joseph said that history underscores the importance of allowing independent investigators to complete their work before reaching a conclusion.
“We’ve been down this road before,” Joseph said. “Reports get written, headlines get made, and in the end, there’s no wrongdoing found.”
The current referral now places the interim findings in the hands of state investigators, who will determine whether any ethics violations or criminal wrongdoing occurred.