Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins re-appointed Christine King to lead an often-fractious Miami City Commission this week, saying she had shown “thoughtful leadership” as one of five commissioners since first being elected in 2021. As a candidate for mayor, Higgins had vowed to lower the temperature at City Hall, where recent commission meetings have often erupted into shouting matches. “I do not need to yell to be heard,” Higgins said pointedly during one campaign event this year. King has chaired the commission for the past four years. In the past, she was often unable to keep tempers in check, or quell the angry exchanges between Commissioners Joe Carollo and Miguel Gabela. Carollo was replaced on the commission this month by Rolando Escalona, a transition which might make the chairwoman’s job easier. The next commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday Jan. 8.
Christine King Tapped to Chair Miami Commission
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Commissioner King is a good choice to continue to chair the City Commission. She is the only one of the commissioners last month who publicly stated she thinks it is time for the City of Miami, as the premiere city in Florida, to “stand up” to both Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida by telling them that the citizens of Miami will not be “one size fits all” dictated to when it comes to zoning. She said that high-rise apartment buildings of twenty and more stories have their place—but not everywhere. Existing neighborhoods need to be preserved.
Let’s hope she means it, and can get the rest of the commissioners and new Mayor Higgins to “stand up” as well.
That’s good to hear, Andy. I had to leave, so I missed those comments. I’ll go back and watch the discussion.