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We’ve all heard the saying: Elections have consequences. Nowhere is that more painfully true than in Surfside — where voters, distracted by empty slogans and finger-pointing, handed power to activists posing as leaders. Now, we’re all paying the price.

Case in point: the Commission’s reckless war with our neighbors in Indian Creek Village.

In recent years, Miami-Dade County has mandated that cities abandon septic tanks for modern sewer systems — an environmental no-brainer which the State has supported. Indian Creek, still stuck on septic, needed Surfside’s cooperation to route a sewer line through our town and tap into our pumps, feeding Collins Avenue’s main sewer artery.

Under the former mayor, Shlomo Danzinger, talks focused on common sense: Indian Creek would pay for the needed upgrades to Surfside’s aging pump stations, contribute nearly $1 million toward other town improvements, and share future maintenance costs — so our taxpayers wouldn’t foot the bill for someone else’s waste.

But when Charles Burkett andhis compliant Commission seized power in March 2024, common sense went out the window. Burkett openly bragged about demanding $10 million from Indian Creek — after insiders say he initially floated an eye-popping $30 million behind closed doors, allegedly to bankroll his own, then rumored, run for Governor. When Indian Creek refused to play along, Burkett and his Commission shut the door on any cooperation altogether.

So, what happened next?

With the Surfside Council refusing to be reasonable, Indian Creek went straight to Tallahassee — and won.

On April 29, 2025, during a final reading of the state’s Transportation Bill (SB1662), lawmakers quietly slipped in an amendment stripping Surfside of any veto power over the project. The new legislation now included the following:

The bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support the very next day — effectively telling Surfside: you’ve lost your seat at the table.

With the passage of this amendment, Indian Creek Village no longer requires Surfside’s permission or coordination to connect to our infrastructure — effectively cutting our town out of any negotiations. This fiasco is a direct consequence of the heavy-handed tactics used by Surfside’s current officials.

What does this mean for residents?

According to studies done by the previous administration, the Surfside pump station that Indian Creek will tie into relies on two aging 65-horsepower pumps that are already underpowered and sometimes struggle to handle existing waste flow — especially given that it must compete with the stronger pressure from neighboring areas like Bal Harbour. Upgrading these pumps was always necessary to handle the extra load Indian Creek will add.

Now, with all bargaining power lost, Surfside residents will be left alone to cover the massive cost of these upgrades — or face a future of sewer backups, system failures, and potential building moratoriums that could freeze development and sink property values.

Burkett’s Mafia Tactics vs. Danzinger’s Quiet Diplomacy

While Burkett was busy shaking down our neighbors, Surfside Community Watch uncovered that former mayor, Shlomo Danzinger, was already working behind the scenes — long before the amendment was even proposed — proving just how closely he’s stayed plugged into the real political dynamics affecting Surfside.

Well before most local officials even knew what was coming, Danzinger had flagged the looming “legislative intervention” to both the Governor’s office and our State Representative. He made it clear that while Indian Creek would likely get state backing given the situation, Surfside’s infrastructure and residents must not be left holding the bag. In his letter to the Governor, he outlined the weaknesses in our outdated pump system and called for Indian Creek to establish an enterprise fund — a dedicated portion of their local taxes — to cover its fair share of upgrades and maintenance in the years ahead.

In short, while the current Commission was busy posturingand burning bridges, Danzinger stayed ahead of the curve — working back channels — attempting tolimit the damage and protect Surfside taxpayers from yetanother costly mess.

But working behind the scenes may not be enough, as Miami-Dade County sets its eyes on Surfside.

Miami-Dade County Has Had Enough

If the sewer mess weren’t enough, the Commission’s cowboy tactics with county roads are now backfiring too. Remember the costly gate Burkett’s crew installed on 88th Street to block traffic — without county permission? Or the road closures scattered all over town with no traffic study or legal approval?

Well, after neighboring residents complained that their access through Surfside was being restricted, the County finally had enough of our elected officials’ antics. The County conducted a survey in Surfside and, in a scathing follow-up letter last November, Miami-Dade’s COO, Jimmy Morales, declared every unauthorized street closure (including Carlyle Ave & Bay Drive @96th St.), local speed bump, stop sign and the 20 mph speed limit, implemented since 2007, illegal. The ultimatum: get proper county approval within eight months or remove them — at Surfside taxpayers’ expense.

Translation: If Surfside fails to get County approval soon, cut-through traffic will pour back in, cul-de-sacs may reopen, and pedestrian safety in residential neighborhoods could vanish overnight. (Residents may have noticed that our speed bumps have already been removed to comply with these changes.)

Out-of-Control Spending, Zero Vision

But infrastructure and public safety aren’t the only issues at stake. Surfside’s financial and operational status has been in disarray since the new Commission took office.

Under Danzinger, Surfside passed a balanced $30 million annual budget for 2024 — which included funding for three new parks, a modern gym and pickleball center, critical seawall and water-main repairs, new resident beach chair amenities, beach path lighting, and exercise stations — with the majority of the costs offset by skillfully negotiated developer contributions and over $12 million in state grants and appropriations that Danzinger secured while lobbying in Tallahassee.

Since then? The new Commission scrapped half the projects immediately after taking office and has since ballooned the budget to a jaw-dropping $50 million — a 70% increase — without a dime of new state funding. Where’s all that money going? Largely into a bloated bureaucracy and sweetheart contracts for political loyalists.

One example: Town Manager Mark Blumstein, handpicked for loyalty, not expertise, now pulls a bloated compensation package exceeding $375,000 a year.

Meanwhile, we’ve churned through five Town Managers and five Police Chiefs in just one year — losing all our directors and experienced staff — leaving rookies and overpriced consultants to run our town.

To make matters worse, looming lawsuits over illegal zoning restrictions could bankrupt our town outright. Homeowners have begun filing claims against Surfside under the Bert Harris Act for lost property value due to the recent downzoning. If successful, Surfside could potentially owe homeowners a combined restitution of over $130 million — or be forced to roll back development limits, unleashing even larger, looming homes.

It’s Time to Wake Up

Surfside residents must stop falling for cheap political theater and start voting based on policies, not slogans. This Commission’s track record is clear: ballooned budgets, costly legal battles, lost infrastructure leverage, unsafe streets — and no plan to fix it.

We cannot afford to be led by ego-driven politicians any longer. It’s time to demand real competence, real vision, and real accountability. Our town’s future depends on it.

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SOURCES:

​Danzinger Letter to the Governor - RE Surfside Indian Creek Village.pdf​

​Town Manager Memo - Indian Creek Village Septic to Sewer Program.pdf​

​Miami-Dade County - RE Town of Surfside Street Closures and Traffic Flow Modifications.pdf​

​​​Miami-Dade County ARTICLE XIII. - Traffic and Transportation Department.pdf​

​Danzinger 2024 - Traffic Study and Engineering Proposal.pdf​

​Miami-Dade County - Traffic Engineering Proposal Denial (05-08-2024).pdf​

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