Miami, FL
Health care union backs ‘dedicated advocate’ David Richardson for Miami-Dade Tax Collector
A union representing more than 6,200 local health care workers is throwing its support behind former state lawmaker and Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson’s bid to be Miami-Dade’s next Tax Collector.
Richardson’s campaign announced an endorsement from SEIU Local 1991, the exclusive bargaining representation for nurses, physicians and other health care professionals at county-run Jackson Health System.
“David Richardson is a dedicated advocate for Jackson Health System who knows how vital our services and workers are to Miami-Dade residents,” SEIU Local 1991 President Vicki Gonzalez said in a statement.
“We are proud to endorse him and have full confidence that he will bring the same level of commitment and integrity to the role of Miami-Dade Tax Collector.”
The union’s nod joins another from AFSCME Local 199, which represents many other public servants in Miami-Dade. Richardson said he is “deeply honored” to now have the backing of SEIU Local 1991.
“I am so grateful to have earned the trust and support of our hard-working health care workers,” he said, “and I remain committed to ensuring that the Tax Collector’s office serves all residents of Miami-Dade County with responsiveness and integrity.”
Long self-monikered as Miami-Dade’s preeminent “budget guy,” Richardson is an accountant in private life with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. He began his more than 30-year career as an auditor for the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1993, he opened his own small business focused on forensic auditing of government contracts and has continued as a CPA since.
He made history in 2012 as one of the first openly gay candidates elected to the Legislature.
He vowed, if elected Tax Collector next year, to bring a “fresh approach” to the office, which he said “needs revamping to deliver top-notch customer service” to the county’s more than 2.7 million residents.
“Through mobile office hours,” he said, “we will expand our reach to every corner of the county, and we will deploy enhanced technology to streamline services.”
Miami-Dade hasn’t had an elected Tax Collector since 1957, when voters there adopted a Home Rule Charter abolishing a few constitutional offices — including Tax Collector and Supervisor of Elections — and conferring their powers to the county manager, who appointed people to those posts.
The authority has fallen to the county Mayor, now Daniella Levine Cava, since 2007, when Miami-Dade voters approved a “strong Mayor” system.
That changes next year, when a constitutional amendment, which a supermajority of Florida voters and 58% of Miami-Dade voters approved, goes into effect. The amendment requires all Sheriffs, Tax Collectors, Property Appraisers, Clerks of Court and Supervisors of Election to be elected before 2025.
For now, Richardson has a clear route to the Nov. 5 General Election as the only Democrat running for Tax Collector in Miami-Dade.
Two Republicans are also running in an Aug. 20 Primary: software entrepreneur Dariel Fernandez and Bryan Calvo, who resigned from the Hialeah Council late last week to run for Tax Collector.
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Developer Michael Stern teamed up with Italian investor and TikToker Gianluca Vacchi in 2024.
At the time, Stern said that Vacchi “understands new media and how to cut through the noise on social media in a way most real estate people don’t,” calling him an effective marketer and tastemaker. Online to his 22.1 million Instagram followers and 22.3 million TikTok followers, Vacchi has showcased his jetsetting lifestyle, workouts, cold plunges, and maybe most frequently, his dancing.
Two years ago, Stern and Vacchi said they were 50-50 partners on a $4 billion pipeline of JDS Development’s projects (Stern’s firm). That included Mercedes-Benz Places Miami, the Dolce & Gabbana-branded 888 Brickell and the planned 1250 West Avenue project in Miami Beach. It later also encompassed a proposed condo buyout of the Casablanca Miami Beach.
Since then, JDS and its partners have exited the 1250 West Avenue project. Both the Mercedes-Benz and Dolce & Gabbana condo projects are tied up in litigation, though sources previously told The Real Deal that JDS is in the process of securing new debt, and a new partner in developer Jeff Soffer for the stalled Mercedes-Benz Places, which would rescue the project.
Meanwhile, Stern’s relationship with Vacchi has imploded. Vacchi sued Stern months ago, but that lawsuit was on hold, and further details of their dispute remained behind closed doors.
Until recently.
Vacchi is accusing Stern of running a Ponzi scheme. In a new lawsuit, he alleges that Stern misrepresented the state of the projects, promising to use Vacchi’s investment in one development but instead diverting them to another. He also accuses Stern of violating a settlement agreement they reached this year. He wants Stern removed from the Mercedes-Benz project.
Stern called Vacchi’s original lawsuit an abuse of the legal system that was filed “for the sole purpose of maliciously creating reputational destruction” and to extract a settlement from Stern, according to a separate lawsuit obtained by TRD. It’s unclear whether that suit was filed. Stern alleges that Vacchi failed to meet his capital obligations (in other words, didn’t invest on time, or at all).
What we’re thinking about: What happens next with Stern? If the partnership with Soffer and the new financing closes, is all resolved? Send me a note at kk@therealdeal.com.
CLOSING TIME
Residential: A trust paid $41.6 million for the 9,100-square-foot mansion at 8565 Old Cutler Road. The seller was 8565 Old Cutler LLC, which purchased the property in 2022 for $38 million. The property, considered a teardown, has previously housed former presidents of the University of Miami, including former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala.
Commercial: The industrial complex at 333 South West 12th Avenue in Deerfield Beach, the printing press for the Sun Sentinel newspaper, sold for $65 million. Gramercy Property Trust sold the property to 333 Deerfield Industrial LLC.
— Research by Mary Diduch
NEW TO THE MARKET
The waterfront mansion at 9720 West Broadview Drive in Bay Harbor Islands hit the market for $36.5 million. The 0.3-acre property, with 83 feet of waterfront, a dock, boat lift, pool, outdoor kitchen, cabana and 2,000-square-foot deck, was recently developed. It’s listed with Daniela Levtov of NG International LLC. The 10,450-square-foot house has seven en-suite bedrooms, a home theater, office and library, according to the listing. Property records show Shaul and Danielle Dina own the home through a trust.
A thing we’ve learned
Port Canaveral officials are backing a new federal bill that would make unauthorized drone flights over U.S. seaports a felony, after more than 500 drones flew over the port in 2025, raising concerns about the security of military, space and cruise operations.
Elsewhere in Florida
- West Palm Beach residents pushed back on the city’s rapid development and developer influence at a public meeting this week, WPTV reported. The proposed appointment of a Stephen Ross executive to the Downtown Development Authority fueled the protest.
- About 50 cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that’s been sickening people in several states, have been confirmed in Florida. That includes five cases in Miami-Dade and five cases in Broward, according to NBC Miami.
- The FBI is investigating whether Aventura-based TourProdEnter LLC funneled more than $300 million in Argentine Football Association sponsorship payments through U.S. banks for the personal benefit of top AFA officials, the Miami Herald reported. The company moved into an office in Aventura at the start of the year but moved out in the spring.
The Oregon Ducks come off a chaotic recruiting period in the 2027 cycle, where they hosted official visitors and added to their list of commitments. Coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon staff are simultaneously looking ahead to future recruiting classes.
As the 2027 cycle starts to wind down and the 2028 cycle begins to pick up, the Ducks entered the recruiting sweepstakes for four-star edge rusher Elijah Tillman.
Oregon Ducks in the Mix for Four-Star EDGE Elijah Tillman
Tillman is a 6-7, 210-pound edge rusher from Loganville, Georgia. He’s listed as a consensus four-star recruit and is ranked as high as No. 152 in the class by Rivals.
In a recent interview with Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Tillman revealed that Oregon and the Miami Hurricanes are among the schools that he wants to visit. According to 247Sports, the Ducks offered him back on April 30, 2026, while the Hurricanes extended an offer all the way on January 25, 2025.
Tillman told Rivals that the different schools in the mix are even at the moment, but that Oregon and Miami were two of the schools that he wants to go out and see.
Four-Star Elijah Tillman’s Potential Oregon Ducks Fit
Sports Spring Football | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
With Tillman’s large frame, which still has the opportunity to grow, he would provide the Ducks with size on the edge right away.
The 2027 recruiting class currently features five-star edge rusher Rashad Streets, three-star Achilles Reyna and three-star Josh Christensen at the position. The program prepares for current starters Matayo Uiagelelei and Teitum Tuioti to head to the NFL Draft at the conclusion of the 2026 season, leaving opportunities for the next couple of recruiting classes.
Additionally, the Ducks haven’t earned any commitments from the state of Georgia in their 2027 recruiting class. The last commit Lanning landed from Georgia was Dayton Raiola in the 2026 class, who made his decision on February 4, 2026. Making a big push for Tillman could possibly reignite the program’s recruiting in the Peach State.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Oregon Ducks Recruiting Battle
Miami is the other program that appears to be making a big push early for Tillman. Oregon fans are very familiar with former Ducks coach Mario Cristobal, who took Oregon recruiting to a different level before leading the Hurricanes to the National Championship game last season.
Cristobal and the Hurricanes have battled Lanning and the Ducks for blue-chip recruits more and more over the recent recruiting cycles. Most notably, Miami flipped four-star cornerback Ai’King Hall’s commitment from Oregon earlier in the 2027 cycle.
The two rivals also emerged as finalists for linebacker recruit Jalaythan Mayfield, who ended up choosing the Indiana Hoosiers. Oregon got the best of the Hurricanes once in the 2027 cycle when four-star offensive lineman Gus Corsair committed to the Pacific Northwest program over the Vanderbilt Commodores and Miami.
While the Hurricanes aren’t a Big Ten rival that the Ducks commonly go toe-to-toe with on the field and in the recruiting realm, Cristobal’s role in the recruiting rivalry adds a little bit more fuel to battles for recruits like Tillman.
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The Miami Dolphins will have new starters at their cornerback positions since both Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are not back with the team. The team drafted Chris Johnson in the first round and it’s pretty likely he’ll have a large role and should claim the one starting spot. The other starting spot should be up for grabs among the rest of the group. Jason Marshall is one of those players who has a better chance of claiming that starting spot after showing some flashes his rookie season. Jeff Hafley has already said he envision Marshall playing on the outside and the second-year corner should get plenty of chances to prove himself during the preseason.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
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