North Miami politics took a dramatic turn in late 2022, setting off a chain of events that reshaped the city’s leadership, extended political terms, and jeopardized critical infrastructure projects. What began as a routine mayoral resignation ended with accusations of backroom deals, Sunshine Law violations, and a lawsuit that could have statewide implications.
The Resignation That Sparked a Power Grab
When Mayor Phillipe Bien-Aimé resigned in 2022 to run for Miami-Dade County Commissioner, he had served less than half his term plus one day. Under the North Miami City Charter, this triggered a requirement:
✅ A special election had to be called within 60 days to fill the vacant mayor’s seat.
At the November 7 and November 14, 2022 council meetings, members discussed both the process of filling the vacant seat and the mandatory 60-day election timeline. At that point:
- Mary Estimé-Irvin and Kassandra Timothe supported holding the special election as required by the charter.
- Alix Desulme pushed to delay the vote until December 13, 2022—a date that would result in Mayor Phillipe Bien-Aimé serving more than half his term and a day, allowing an appointment instead of a special election.
The Pivotal November 21 Meeting: A Sudden Change of Heart
Everything changed at the November 21, 2022 meeting.
Although the election requirement had been discussed at two prior meetings, the council now appeared to feign confusion about the timing. That night, Estimé-Irvin abruptly changed her position, joining Desulme in pushing to postpone the decision until December 13.
This was a critical turning point:
✅ If they had voted on November 21, the charter would have required a special election within 60 days.
❌ By delaying to December 13, they sidestepped the charter requirement and gained the power to appoint a mayor instead of letting voters decide.
The December 13 Appointment: Two Years Without an Election
On December 13, 2022, the council combined its new appointment authority with a Florida statute allowing municipal elections to be moved to even-numbered years.
The outcome:
- Alix Desulme was appointed mayor and served two years—December 13, 2022 until January 2025—without ever being elected to that position by voters.
- Mary Estimé-Irvin was named vice mayor, even though the position traditionally rotated every six months and had no defined term in the charter.Considering everything that followed, it raises serious questions about whether a backroom deal prompted her abrupt reversal on November 21, 2022—dropping her support for the required election within sixty days.
- Pierre Frantz Charles was appointed to fill Desulme’s vacant District 4 council seat, despite having never been elected to public office.