The Miami City Commission voted narrowly this week in support of shaking up the status quo by moving city elections to even-numbered years and by imposing a lifetime cap on the number of terms a city commissioner or mayor can serve.
After a marathon meeting that stretched late into the evening, the Miami City Commission voted narrowly this week to advance two proposals that would change the way in which Miami elects its political leaders and determines who is fit to serve.
The twin proposals, pushed by Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo, would delay this year’s election by a year to November 2026 and impose a lifetime cap of eight years (two terms) on the length of time a commissioner or mayor could stay in office.
Neither proposal is final. The City Commission will have to vote a second time to move this year’s election. That vote could come as early as next week. And voters will have the final say on Pardo’s proposal for lifetime term limits.
Both votes were significant, however, for what they revealed about the shifting dynamics on the commission dais and the appetite for political reform.
As expected, the commission’s newest member – Ralph Rosado, attending his first commission meeting as Miami’s newly elected District 4 commissioner – proved to be the swing vote on the five-member commission.
Rosado joined Pardo and Commission Chair Christine King in voting to move Miami’s municipal elections to even-numbered years. Backers say the switch will boost voter turnout, but they acknowledge the change comes with a cost.
By resetting Miami’s election calendar, each of the city’s five commissioners and current Mayor Francis Suarez will be rewarded with another year in office. That was a bridge too far for some. Commissioners Joe Carollo and Miguel Gabela voted no.
On question of lifetime term limits, Rosado was in the majority again, voting with Pardo and Gabela to cap a politician’s years of service on the commission or as mayor at two terms. Carollo, who would be barred from running for his District 3 seat again in any future election, voted no, as did King.
The twin reforms drew a rash of public comment – both pro and con – but the day’s public comment period was dominated by another hot topic – the question of whether Miami should deputize its police officers to work with federal agents to enforce the nation’s immigration laws.
More than 90 people crowded into City Hall to speak against the move, but the commission chose to go the other way, voting 3-2 to align the city with the Trump Administration’s efforts to find and deport immigrants.
Rosado was in the majority again, voting with Carollo and Gabela in favor of the move. Pardo and King voted no.
