Former West Miami Mayor Cesar Carasa Finds Himself in a Spence-Jones Situation

Cesar Carasa, the ex-Mayor of West Miami, was suspended by Governor Charlie Crist in December after racking up a $70,000 cell phone bill on his city-issued phone.Besides the fact that works out to about $11 per West Miami resident, he racked up a good deal of the minutes chatting with...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

February 25, 2010

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Cesar Carasa, the ex-Mayor of West Miami, was suspended by Governor Charlie Crist in December after racking up a $70,000 cell phone bill on his city-issued phone.

Besides the fact that works out to about $11 per West Miami resident, he racked up a good deal of the minutes chatting with ladies in the Dominican Republic he met after trying to sell them shoes.

But because this is South Florida, he's running to reclaim his post.

In a situation eerily similar to the plight of twice-suspended former Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, Carasa has filed paperwork to run again. Since he hasn't been convicted, he's allowed to do so. And, just like Spence-Jones, if he wins, Crist's office has indicated that he'll be suspended again.

Though, if convicted Carasa faces at most a $500 fine and 30 days in the slammer.
He'll be running against current mayo Eduardo Muhiña who was sworn in shortly after Carasa got the boot.

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