North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme Faces Election Disqualification Lawsuit by George Morgan — But What About Term Limits?
October 9, 2026 | North Miami Speaks
North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme is facing an emergency lawsuit that could remove him from the November 3, 2026, mayoral election ballot.
On October 8, mayoral candidate George E. Duell Morgan filed a lawsuit against Desulme, the City of North Miami, and Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia, alleging that Desulme failed to comply with Florida’s mandatory candidate-qualifying requirements.
Just weeks earlier, North Miami City Council candidate Hector Medina was disqualified over a qualifying-check violation.
Now Morgan is asking the court to apply those same election laws to the incumbent mayor.
But there is another question North Miami residents deserve an answer to:
Should Alix Desulme even be eligible to serve another term as mayor?
The City’s own website states that a mayor can serve a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms. Yet Desulme has occupied the mayor’s office continuously since December 2022.
Let’s examine both issues.
Why George Morgan Is Challenging Alix Desulme’s Election Qualification
Morgan’s lawsuit, Case No. 2026-020505-CA-01, centers on two checks Desulme submitted to qualify for the November 3 election.
According to the complaint, Desulme submitted two TD Bank official checks:
- $4,494 payable to the City of North Miami.
- $898.80 payable to the Election Trust Fund.
Florida Statute §99.061(7)(a)1 requires a candidate paying a qualifying fee to submit a properly executed check drawn on the candidate’s campaign account.
North Miami’s election code, §6-21(d), also requires payment by a check drawn on the candidate’s campaign account.
Morgan alleges that Desulme’s checks failed to meet these requirements for two reasons.
Problem #1: Desulme Used Cashier’s Checks
A regular campaign check is drawn directly on the candidate’s campaign bank account.
A cashier’s check is issued by the bank and drawn on the bank itself.
Morgan argues that a cashier’s check does not satisfy the requirement for a check drawn on the candidate’s campaign account.
The lawsuit maintains that this remains a problem even if campaign funds were used to purchase the cashier’s checks.
Problem #2: The Campaign Treasurer Did Not Sign the Checks
According to Desulme’s campaign documents, Emmanuella Fluerimont was his designated campaign treasurer.
Florida law requires campaign-account checks to be signed by the designated campaign treasurer or deputy treasurer.
However, the two official checks submitted by Desulme bear a bank representative’s signature.
Morgan argues that this is a second, independent reason the checks were not properly executed.
And that brings us to Hector Medina.
Hector Medina Was Disqualified Over His Qualifying Check
In September 2026, Judge Christopher Green disqualified North Miami District 2 Council candidate Hector Medina.
Medina had submitted a campaign check, but he signed it himself instead of having his designated campaign treasurer sign it.
The court ruled that Medina had not submitted the properly executed check required by Florida law.
Medina was removed from the election.
Morgan’s lawsuit includes the Medina final judgment as an exhibit.
Here is the comparison:
Hector Medina: Submitted a campaign check signed by the wrong person.
Alix Desulme: Submitted cashier’s checks that Morgan alleges were drawn on the bank rather than the campaign account and were not signed by his designated campaign treasurer.
The legal question is straightforward:
If Medina was disqualified for failing to comply with the qualifying requirements, should those same requirements also apply to Desulme?
A judge will decide whether the circumstances require the same result.
Morgan Warned the City Before Filing the Lawsuit
On October 6, Morgan’s attorney sent a formal demand letter to North Miami’s City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney.
The letter identified the alleged violations and demanded corrective action by 5 p.m. on October 8.
According to the complaint, the City did not take the requested action.
Morgan filed his emergency lawsuit that evening.
The timing matters.
The municipal election is scheduled for November 3, 2026. Vote-by-mail ballots have already been mailed, and early voting begins October 19.
Morgan is asking the court to declare Desulme unqualified and direct election officials to notify voters if votes cast for him will not be counted.
As of this article’s publication, the court has not ruled that Desulme is disqualified.
Readers can review the complete lawsuit, including the checks, campaign documents, Medina judgment, and demand letter, in the accompanying court filing.
Should Alix Desulme Already Be Termed Out?
Separate from George Morgan’s lawsuit is another important question:
Should Alix Desulme even be eligible for another term as mayor?
The City of North Miami’s current 2026 election page states:
“The Mayor position is elected to a two-year term. Each individual can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.”
That’s two terms of two years each for Mayor.
Desulme has occupied the mayor’s office continuously since December 2022. If reelected in November 2026, he could remain mayor until December 2028—approximately six consecutive years in the mayor’s office.
Desulme Helped Move the Election That Created his First Term As Mayor in Office
The City’s Ordinance 1501 explicitly changed the election date and provided for the “extension of existing terms of office.” north_miami_ordinance_1501_term…
Desulme wasn’t simply affected by the ordinance.
He sponsored it, moved it, voted for it, and signed it as mayor. north_miami_ordinance_1501_term…
The same ordinance retained the Charter language:
“The mayor shall not serve as mayor for more than two (2) consecutive terms.” north_miami_ordinance_1501_term…
The timeline is straightforward:
December 2022: Desulme is appointed mayor.
November 2024: Desulme is elected mayor.
November 2026: Desulme seeks another term.
December 2028: If reelected, Desulme could complete approximately six consecutive years as mayor.
The unanswered legal question is whether his appointed service counts toward the City’s two-term limit. Morgan’s current lawsuit does not address that issue.
But if a full two year of appointed service do not count, the City should be able to point residents to the Charter provision or other legal authority that says so.
How does six consecutive years as mayor fit with a Charter that says the mayor shall not serve more than two consecutive terms?
How Desulme Became Mayor Without Being Elected to the Office
From District 4 Councilmember to Appointed Mayor—Then an Extended Term
In 2022, Alix Desulme was North Miami’s District 4 councilmember and vice mayor—not its elected mayor.
Following Philippe Bien-Aimé’s resignation, the Council repeatedly postponed deciding how to fill the mayoral vacancy. Desulme advocated delaying that decision until December 13, when the timing under the City’s Charter would allow an appointment rather than a special election. This sequence raises questions about whether the delay was used to avoid an election.
On December 13, 2022, the Council took two separate actions: it appointed Desulme mayor and adopted legislation postponing the May 2023 municipal election until November 2024. One justification for moving North Miami’s election was that it would save taxpayers money. Yet Council members subsequently received $20,000 each annually for advertising — $100,000 combined.
Desulme sponsored Ordinance 1501, which changed the election date and extended existing terms of office. The ordinance records that he moved its adoption, voted for it, and signed it as mayor. north_miami_ordinance_1501_term…
The result: The result was significant: Desulme was appointed mayor in December 2022 and remained in office under that appointment through December 2024. He then won the December 3, 2024 runoff election for a term beginning in January 2025 and ending in December 2026. He is now seeking another term that would extend his continuous occupancy of the mayor’s office through December 2028—six consecutive years, beginning with two years by appointment rather than election. Pierre Frantz Charles was appointed to replace Desulme in District4. North Miami induction of Desulme and Pierre Frantz Charles
For the complete history of the Council’s repeated postponements and the critical “half the term plus one day” provision, see [COMING SOON]
The timeline is simple:
| Date | What Happened |
|---|---|
| December 2022 | City Council appointed Desulme mayor. |
| May 2023 | The scheduled municipal election did not take place. |
| November 2024 | Desulme was elected mayor. |
| November 2026 | Desulme is seeking another two-year term. |
| December 2028 | If reelected, Desulme could complete approximately six consecutive years as mayor. |
The question is whether the two years Desulme served by appointment should count toward the City’s term limits.
The City’s website states the two-term limit but does not explain how appointed service is counted.
That legal distinction matters. Morgan’s current lawsuit concerns qualifying checks, not term limits.
Nevertheless, residents deserve a clear explanation of how the City interprets its own Charter.
Desulme Previously Served as North Miami’s City Clerk
There is another important detail. Before serving on the City Council and becoming mayor, Alix Desulme was North Miami’s elected City Clerk.
He was elected City Clerk in 2009 and later elected to the City Council in 2015. The City Clerk plays a central role in municipal elections, including candidate qualifying. As the former City Clerk, Desulme therefore should know both City and State election procedures.
That background makes the current qualifying-check dispute particularly noteworthy.
What Happens Next in the North Miami Mayoral Election?
Morgan has requested an expedited hearing because the November 3 election is approaching. The court must determine whether Desulme’s qualifying checks complied with Florida law. If the court finds that Desulme failed to qualify, election officials may be required to notify voters and implement the applicable procedures for a disqualified candidate.
The term-limit question remains separate and would require its own legal analysis.
The City states that a mayor serves a two-year term and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Whether Desulme’s earlier appointed service counts toward that limit remains a separate legal question.
The Bottom Line: Election Laws Must Apply Equally
North Miami recently disqualified a City Council candidate because his qualifying check failed to meet Florida’s mandatory requirements.
Now the incumbent mayor faces a challenge under those same requirements.
The law should not change depending on who is running for office.
And while the court considers the qualifying-check lawsuit, North Miami residents still deserve answers about the postponed 2023 election, the extension of elected officials’ terms, and how the City’s mayoral term limits apply to Desulme.
These are not complicated questions.
Did Desulme legally qualify?
Does his appointed service count toward the term limit?
The answers should come from the law, the City’s records, and the courts—not from political convenience.
North Miami residents deserve transparency, accountability, and equal enforcement of election laws.
Court Documents
Morgan v. City of North Miami, Garcia & Desulme
Case No. 2026-020505-CA-01
Emergency Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
Filed October 8, 2026.
Timothe v. City of North Miami
Case No. 2026-017398-CA-01
Final Judgment concerning Hector Medina’s candidate qualification.
The allegations in Morgan’s complaint remain subject to judicial determination. The term-limit and election-postponement questions discussed here are separate from the pending qualifying-check lawsuit
