After moving out nearly all of former Mayor Francis Suarez’s office staff, Miami’s new mayor has assembled a more top-heavy team of higher-paid senior advisers with total salaries (excluding her own) exceeding $2 million.
Politics
Tension and relations between policies and their advocates.
Elections, Referendums. Campaigns and Candidates.
Who’s Representing Coconut Grove in Tallahassee?
With a special legislative session set to begin this week in Tallahassee, Coconut Grove is down to one representative in the Florida House, and even she is a mystery.
Miami Delays Vote on $450-Million Bond Proposal
Editor’s Note: This story was published on April 23 by WLRN Public Media. The Spotlight is re-publishing this story under a partnership agreement with WLRN. This August, City of Miami voters might or might not have the chance to decide whether the city should take out $450 million in loans[Read More…]
A Commission Recap: Parks, Preservation, and The Hangar
The City Commission approved a $200,000 grant to support the restoration of the historic Ace Theater, allocated $13 million for park improvements and affordable housing in District 2, and granted The Hangar a waiver to host more events in 2026.
Inside City Hall: Miami’s Salary Secret
With salaries and benefits consuming 77% of Miami’s budget, payroll systems track every dollar paid — including overtime and bonuses — but city officials declined to provide a full accounting of what employees actually earn.
Pardo Responds to Question about Fate of City Hall
The fate of the Pan Am seaplane terminal at Dinner Key has been a topic of concern for Grove residents since late last month when the Miami Herald published a story saying the City of Miami planned to move City Hall to Freedom Park in 2028. (The Spotlight published a[Read More…]
Cost of Miami’s Election Fiasco Could Double
The cost of last year’s election fiasco for Miami taxpayers may double this week, if the Miami City Commission agrees to pay $150,000 in legal fees incurred by former mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez. Gonzalez went to court last year to prevent the city from moving the 2025 general election to[Read More…]
Tree Overhaul Returns as Quiet Changes Take Root
New internal permitting policies are in, the longtime tree protection chief is out, and the city is gearing up for another round with residents to rewrite its tree laws.
City Proposes Pay-to-Play Building Bonuses Near Bike Trails
A pair of zoning changes set for review this week would let developers build higher and denser near bike and pedestrian “greenways” like the Commodore Trail and the Underline in exchange for cash payments or other “public benefits.”
Inside City Hall: Miami’s Pay Raise Machine
With salaries and benefits consuming most of the city’s budget, a tangle of automatic and discretionary increases is quietly pushing costs higher year after year.
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