After a two-week deferment, the City Commission voted 4-to-1 to settle a federal lawsuit over racial gerrymandering
The Miami City Commission approved a proposed settlement agreement on Thursday that would reunite Coconut Grove under a new voting map and leave in place a federal court ruling that Miami engaged in illegal racial gerrymandering in 2022 when the commission redrew the city’s district boundaries.
The 2022 voting map divided Coconut Grove and other Miami neighborhoods, prompting the ACLU of Florida and a coalition of community groups and individuals to sue the city in federal court.
The settlement agreement must now be approved by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore, who ruled against the city in April. The new district boundaries will take effect seven days after Moore approves the settlement agreement.
The City Commission approved the settlement agreement by a vote of 4-to-1 with almost no discussion. The lone “no” vote was cast by Commissioner Joe Carollo, who was on the commission in 2022 when the contested voting map was adopted and who refused Thursday to accept the judge’s ruling.
“We did not commit racial gerrymandering,” Carollo said.
The settlement would end litigation that began in December 2022 and that resulted in a series of federal court rulings that went against the city.
Under the terms of the settlement, the city would be required to adopt a new voting map (known as P5), pay $1.58 million in legal fees incurred by the plaintiffs, and submit a charter amendment to voters in November 2025 to prevent future gerrymanders.
The settlement would also allow the city’s five commissioners to serve out their current terms, despite a shift in district boundaries. Unless a special election is called, the new voting map would take effect with district elections in November 2025.
