Juan Fernandez-Barquin has been Miami-Dade’s county clerk since the summer of 2023 but never with the watchdog powers he inherited this week.
On Tuesday, the former Republican lawmaker assumed control of a newly empowered Clerk’s Office. Thanks to a change in the Florida Constitution, this week the Clerk’s Office took over the auditing and accounting staffs that previously were under the control of Miami-Dade’s Democratic mayor, Daniella Levine Cava.
At his ceremonial swearing-in on Friday, Fernandez-Barquin promised to use his office’s expanded powers to give residents a clearer look at how the county government spends tax money.
“We will ensure greater transparency,” Fernandez-Barquin, a 41-year-old lawyer, told the crowd gathered for the ceremony in the chambers of the County Commission, where the clerk’s staff is responsible for paperwork and record-keeping…