Spence-Jones out; Rev. Dunn in

Rev. Richard Dunn to fill Michelle Spence-Jones’ Miami seat

As was anticipated, Reverend Richard P. Dunn II has been appointed to fill a City of Miami Commission seat as a replacement for Michelle Spence-Jones, who Gov. Charlie Crist suspended.

Rev. Dunn, who was appointed at a special city commission meeting, was the runner up to Spence-Jones in the special elections held in the City of Miami – District 5 elections on January 12.

Crist suspended Spence-Jones two days later, despite that she won the special elections, with the electorate cognizant of her grand theft charge for allegedly misappropriating Miami-Dade County grant funds.

Crist had originally suspended Spence-Jones weeks earlier, after she won the District 5 seat in November. Following the initial suspension, the special elections were called, which Spence-Jones contested in defiance of Crist’s actions. Crist threatened to suspend her again if she won the seat, which he did. Spence–Jones filed an injunction to reverse the governor’s actions, but the hearing on this injunction is pending.

Rev. Dunn no stranger to commission

Rev. Dunn is no stranger to the city commission having previously served as a commission appointee. Now appointed to fill the District 5 seat, he represents some of the most impoverished communities in Miami – Overtown, Little Haiti and Liberty City – where Spence-Jones enjoyed very high popularity.

Several residents present at Monday’s meeting were not abashed to let it be known that they were not in favor of Spence-Jones’ seat being filled. Some were very critical of Crist’s decision to again suspend her, and were removed from the meeting after making lengthy and emotional pleas for the seat to be left vacant pending the court’s decision.

The commissioner had asked residents to only address the meeting on the validity of the candidates under consideration and the needs of the district, and to speak for only two minutes.

It took over six hours and three votes before the commissioners appointed Dunn. The first two votes were divided 2-2 among the four existing commissioners, for Dunn and another candidate, Pierre Rutledge. After further debate between the audience and the commissioners, the final vote was 4-0 for Dunn.

However, Dunn’s appointment was made based on a compromise reached with Dunn agreeing to fill the seat only temporarily, and not to contest it in November’s elections, thus enabling other candidates to contest the seat.

This compromise still did not sit well with some residents. Alma Dawkins said she wanted the commission to rule that Dunn would fill the seat temporarily “until Spence-Jones is freed of the charges against her. She will be freed, because she is no thief.” Several other residents echoed Dawkins’ views.

Former Assistant City Attorney Erica Wright, Dufirstson Neree, David Chiverton, Allison Austin, Basil Binns, Charles Flowers and Robert Malone Jr. were also under consideration for the appointment.

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