Michael Joseph (Haitian American lawyer and politician)

Michael Joseph (born August 18, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician who is the Mayor of the City of North Miami Beach located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida. He was sworn in as the city's first Black and Haitian American mayor in December 2024.
Early life and education
Joseph was born in 1981 in Miami to Haitian immigrant parents and raised in the Little River neighborhood of Miami with his younger sister. He studied business administration at Florida International University before receiving his Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University. He graduated from Miami Edison High School, where he joined the 5000 Role Models of Excellence scholarship program, founded by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Later, he became a mentor for the program.
Personal life
Joseph is married to wife Asia who together are raising their two sons. He works as an attorney in addition to his role as mayor.
Political Career
Joseph began his political career in North Miami Beach when he was elected to the city commission in 2018. He served on the commission until his successful run for mayor in 2024.
North Miami Beach Commissioner (2018-2024)
2018 Election and Public Corruption Scandals
The mayor at the time, George Vallejo, resigned in April as part of a plea deal regarding campaign finance violation charges brought against him by the state attorney’s office. One commissioner, Marlen Martell stepped down to take a job as city manager of North Bay Village. Frantz Pierre was removed for chronic absenteeism, reinstated by a judge, then removed again after being charged with multiple counts of bribery. As a result, six of seven seats were up for election and sixteen candidates qualified to run.
2020 Re-Election Campaign
The election centered around a development project impacting the city’s Eastern Shores neighborhood, a wealthy, waterfront enclave and the vote to terminate the controversial decision in 2017 to privatize the city's water utility.
Commissioners terminated the 2017 privatization deal because it did not create the cost savings expected, while residents’ water bills increased. Among the reasons for increased water bills was the switching from quarterly to monthly billing for single-family homes in 2018 prompting a return to the quarterly system sponsored by Commissioner Joseph.
Joseph won reelection, after taking 64.87 percent of votes.
Mayoral Residency Controversy (2022-2023)
The Ethics Complaint and Investigation
In December 2022, an ethics complaint was submitted claiming the North Miami Beach Mayor at the time Anthony DeFillipo lived in Davie, a town in Broward County north of the city violating the residency requirement to be mayor. An investigation by an outside law firm hired by the city attorney's office confirmed the allegations that DeFillipo had moved out of the city and city attorney declared that the mayor had vacated his seat automatically. DeFillipo refused to leave.
Boycott Protest of Mayor’s Residency Fraud
Joseph and two other commissioners - McKenzie Fleurimond and Daniela Jean - refused to come to city commission meetings in protest of Mayor DeFillipo's refusal to resign after an internal investigation concluded he violated the city charter by not residing in North Miami Beach. The move halted city business and Joseph was widely criticized for his decision to boycott commission meetings. The North Miami Beach city commission was divided with some commissioners supporting DeFillipo refusing to allow a review of the residency fraud allegations.
Joseph's Removal from Office and Restoration
Joseph was unsuccessfully sued to be removed from office for failing to attend for 120 consecutive days because of his boycott. Later, Joseph was removed from his post by the vote of commissioners including Mayor DeFillipo, but reinstated by a judge.
Mayor Arrested and Removed from Office
Former Mayor DeFillipo was charged with three felony counts of voter fraud charges and was subsequently removed from office in May 2023 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Aftermath
Joseph, an attorney, defended his actions to boycott past commission meetings in protest of the former mayor’s questionable residency status because any decisions made under the former mayor's direction could be nullified putting the city and taxpayers’ dollars at risk. In addition, the former mayor had his personal attorney hired by the city for watchdog investigations into corruption and malfeasance to pressure the resignation or termination of the city attorney and the city manager.
Joseph defeated Mayor Evan Piper, after taking 55.5 percent of the vote. He is the first Black, Haitian American and Millennial mayor of North Miami Beach.
Political Positions
Transportation
Elon Musk's Boring Company Proposal
Mayor Joseph successfully solicited Elon Musk’s Boring Company to submit a plan for a 6.2-mile underground transit system linking Sunny Isles Beach with North Miami, with potential extensions to the Hard Rock Stadium and the FIU North campus that would benefit the already-gridlocked area.
Freebee Partnership
Mayor Joseph introduced the idea of partnering with Freebee as an alternative for commuters looking for last mile transit solution that works similar to Uber or Lyft but does not charge residents for rides on Tesla vehicles .
Ethics Reform
Mayor Joseph sponsored ethics code reform that prohibits abuse of power by elected officials and staff, particularly self-dealing in real estate transactions that require city permissions.
Septic to Sewer
Mayor Joseph has prioritized sewer upgrades and the necessary septic-to-sewer connections as his goal as mayor. He expects to overcome the high cost of the project and the need for extensive infrastructure improvements by securing both state and federal funding to help cover these costs.
Democratic Party Politics
In addition to his role as mayor, Mayor Joseph has been elected as First Vice Chair of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party, expanding his influence beyond city politics.<ref name=":3" />

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