Office of the Mayor
Carlos Alvarez, Mayor

Carlos Alvarez became Mayor of Miami-Dade County on November 16, 2004.  After a distinguished 28-year public service career, Mr. Alvarez assumed a new level of public service, where he is ushering in an era of integrity and accountability in local government.  On January 23, 2007, voters made an historic decision to change the way Miami-Dade County government is run.  Mr. Alvarez now oversees the day-to-day operations of government which employs more than 30,000 employees and operates with a budget of more than $7 billion dollars.

Mayor Alvarez is focused on making Miami-Dade County Government more efficient and responsive to the needs of residents.  During his tenure, he has worked with the Board of County Commissioners to reduce the County’s budget while at the same time, preserving and enhancing government programs and services.

His priorities include keeping Miami-Dade County's two largest economic engines – Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami – competitive, as they contribute more than $41 billion dollars and 382,000 jobs to our local economy; working with the federal and state governments to improve transportation, understanding that there is no one solution to our traffic congestion problems; and ensuring that crime remains low.

He has been a strong supporter of planned growth, and fought hard to protect the Urban Development Boundary so future generations will have sufficient clean water, a healthy economy and social well-being.

Highlights of his administration include the launch of Miami-Dade County’s 3-1-1 Answer Center, which provides fast, efficient non-emergency service to residents with questions or concerns about County government; the commencement of a $1.8 billion water reuse plan; and the opening of both Miami International Airport’s South Terminal and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.

During his tenure he has created the Mayor’s Mortgage Fraud Task Force bringing together law enforcement, elected officials and the real estate community to combat mortgage fraud; the Mayor’s Initiative on Aging: To Life! to promote wellness and safety for seniors; and the Mayor’s Mental Health Task Force to decriminalize mental illness, realizing jails are no place for the mentally ill.

Mr. Alvarez's public service career began in 1976, when he joined the Miami-Dade Police Department.  He was promoted through all the civil service ranks and on March 31, 1997, he was appointed Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.  For seven years, he managed a department of more than 5,000 employees and a budget of close to half a billion dollars.

His professional affiliations include the National Association of Counties, FBI National Academy, International Association of Chiefs of Police and Florida Police Chiefs Association.  He has received numerous awards during his career for his assistance and support of community and civil organizations.

Alvarez holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Florida International University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Mayor Alvarez is a native of Cuba.  He arrived in the United States with his family at the age of eight.  He is the father of two sons and one daughter.