Miami’s mayor was included on this list of up-and-coming influential people
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been named in a Time magazine list of the next 100 most influential people in the world, joining well-known figures such as fellow mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, and Latin trap star Bad Bunny.
Halfway through his first term as mayor of the Magic City, Suarez is being recognized by a national publication for being a “passionate advocate for the community he represents,” words attributed to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a fellow Florida Republican and former city commissioner in West Miami, who wrote a few paragraphs to accompany Suarez’s entry on the list.
“Miami has a unique set of advantages and challenges,” Rubio wrote. “But Francis’ desire to serve his community has consistently guided the city toward a promising future.”
Suarez, the city’s first Miami-born mayor, said he was incredibly honored to be included on the list.
“This hallmark recognition is a testament to our daily efforts to improve Miami every day,” Suarez said in a statement. “It is only possible because of the opportunity our residents have afforded me to lead Miami as a global city that will be here forever and that works for everyone.”
Evidently, Suarez is influential in the eyes of Time’s editorial staff, who determined the list using input from correspondents and previous honorees who have been included in the magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Inside the city’s halls of power, though, the 42-year-old real estate attorney has a mixed record of legislative and political wins and losses. Wielding influence can be challenging in Miami City Hall, with a commission that has fostered a divisive atmosphere and become prone to bickering and loud exchanges fueled by political disagreements.
He successfully lobbied the city’s five-person commission to create two new social programs to aid seniors facing rent hikes and to create savings accounts for kindergartners. His administration has settled long-standing legal battles with labor unions to avoid potential bankruptcy, boasted the lowest crime rate in decades, and implemented a plan for funding citywide improvements under a $400 general obligation bond approved by voters in 2017.
Suarez suffered the first significant political loss of his career when in 2018, voters overwhelmingly rejected a centerpiece of his agenda — to reorganize the city government so the mayor would be the most powerful elected official in City Hall. Currently, he has a largely ceremonial role. He has no vote on the commission, and he has only limited powers to name a city manager and veto legislation. In a referendum, more than 60 percent of voters rejected his proposal.
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 7:13 PM.
