Petition seeks to expand the city commission and orient elections with federal cycles
The citizens of Miami are determined more than ever to change the city’s governance structure with a strong movement. Community and advocacy groups have joined forces to form “Stronger Miami.” It is an initiative that seeks to amend the city charter in order to increase representation.
Furthermore, the movement also aims to boost electoral participation by shifting city election timelines to match federal elections.
Increasing local representation
Currently, Miami has five city commissioners who represent around 456,000 residents. In contrast, neighboring Miami Beach has six commissioners for a population of about 80,000.
The Stronger Miami coalition proposes increasing the number of city commission districts from five to nine.
According to Rebecca Pelham, the executive director of Engage Miami, a voting rights group that is part of Stronger Miami, the rationale behind this expansion is to provide more localized representation to allow commissioners to better advocate for the needs of their communities.
Moreover, smaller districts would enable commissioners to focus more closely on neighborhood issues, which would lead to a more responsive and accountable government.
Orienting city elections with federal cycles
Another aspect of the proposed charter amendment is the shift of city elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years so that they stick with the midterm and presidential elections.
The coalition believes synchronizing city elections with federal ones will lead to more engagement in the democratic process.
“In odd-year elections, turnout is super, super low,” Pelham noted. “If we just timed it with even years, those elections are already happening, and people are already voting, so it’s a lot more efficient, but more importantly, it makes it easier for everyone to participate in these elections.”
Mobilizing community support
To bring these proposed changes to fruition, Stronger Miami is undertaking a petition drive to collect over 26,000 signatures from registered Miami voters. The goal is to place the charter amendment on the ballot for the November 4, 2025, election.
What’s next?
While the initiative has garnered support, it has also faced criticism from some. Elvis Cruz, a Morningside activist, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of increasing the number of commissioners.
“Right now, developers give campaign contributions to five commissioners. They will be able to give nine commissioners much more money than the average resident,” Cruz said. “The good guys are already stretched thin dealing with a three-commissioner majority on any given issue. Now they’ll have to deal with five.”
Even with differing opinions, Stronger Miami has not strayed from its mission.
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