Harvey Ruvin was a resident of the City of Miami Beach and the longest-serving elected official in Miami Dade County, covering a span of nearly 55 years. Mr. Ruvin was first elected to public office in 1968, serving as Mayor of the City of North Bay Village. He was later elected in 1972 as Commissioner to the County, where he served for twenty years. In 1992, Mr. Ruvin was elected to the Office of the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts, where he was re-elected five times and held office for almost thirty years.
Mr. Ruvin was a staunch defender of Miami-Dade’s environment and life-long advocate of environmental issues. During his tenure as Commissioner, he spearheaded the beach renourishment project that began in 1977, which established dunes along the beaches to address erosion occurring from Government cut to Haulover. As Clerk of Courts, he was awarded the Public Technologist of the Year in 2003, by the Public Technology Institute, for his office’s efforts in making public records more accessible to the public online. Mr. Ruvin was also affiliated with variety of organizations throughout his distinguished career. He served as Chairman of the South Florida Regional Planning Council, President of the National Association of Counties, Vice-President of the International Council of Local Environment Initiatives, Chairman of the County’s Climate Change Advisory Task Force, as well as its Sea Level Rise Task Force, among others.
Upon review of the request, the Administration recommends honoring the life and accomplishments of Harvey Ruvin with a memorial plaque to be installed at lobby of the Courthouse in Historic City Hall, located at 1130 Washington Avenue (the Project).
The Project will consist of installation of the commemorative plaque, including design, fabrication, installation, and necessary improvements to the area. The total cost for this Project is approximately $500.00.