Miami commissioners want pensions? Let voters decide | Opinion

The Miami city commission, by its recent actions, has once again brought to our attention the very important issue of the kind of compensation that we as a society believe our public officials deserve — both during and after their tenure.

For purely historical reasons, Miami languished for the first century of its existence (1896-1996) with a compensation scheme that treated its five commissioners (including the mayor, who was the ex-officio chairman of the commission) as part-time employees. The yearly compensation was $5,000.

That’s yearly, not monthly or weekly.

When I became mayor in 1985, I was given a small car allowance and an expense account of $250-a-month. The expense account came in a separate, biweekly check, which, when payroll taxes were subtracted, amounted to about $90. I used the cash to pay for things like tips, dry cleaning and fast-food purchases, which did not accept credit cards at the time.

And there was no pension whatsoever. Not one penny.

Being mayor of Miami, even with limited powers, was a full-time job. I worked mornings in the city and afternoons at a law firm that paid me well, but also required a certain number of billable hours.

During my eight years as mayor, I juggled what were effectively two full-time jobs. I also had to raise money to survive two highly contested reelections. If I had lost either one, I would have walked out of city hall with no golden parachute or pension.

Last week, four decades after my tenure at the city ended, my son, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, vetoed a controversial proposal by city commissioners to give themselves, and him, generous lifetime pensions. The city commission upheld the veto, ending a week-long saga that angered residents.

The city charter sets the compensation of elected officials, so I believe that adding pension benefits should be by a referendum vote of the people of Miami, not by a vote of the very commission it benefits.

I did not run for mayor of Miami expecting to be compensated for life after my term was over. But that doesn’t mean the current compensation system for elected officials is a good system — particularly for people whose occupations do not allow them to make a decent living on a part-time basis.

In 2011, when I became a Miami-Dade commissioner, my salary increased by a hefty 20% from what it had been as mayor of Miami, as I earned the lofty figure of $6,000-a-year.

As a county commissioner, I was effectively a member of a board that oversaw a $10 billion enterprise, whose managers earned an average of $240,000 a year (40 times what I earned) and accrued pensions in the range of six figures. (After 9.5 years on the commission, I took home a lump sum of $120,000, after-tax, as a one-time retirement benefit — equivalent to what some managers receive yearly as pension for the rest of their lives.)

I do believe there is a tragic flaw in the system. It’s tragic not because we don’t get quality candidates who can financially afford to run for public office; it’s tragic because we don’t get our fair share of candidates from professions like carpenters, nurses, waiters and computer technicians.

Instead, we get lawyers and retired teachers on public pensions, as well as an occasional entrepreneur who has already become financially independent. That’s a shame.

But still a request by part-time commissioners for lifetime pensions is a hard sell with constituents, who I think should approve such pensions.

Miami voters are not about to vote in favor of politicians who, after the fact, want to be paid handsomely for their retirement.

I can’t blame them.

Xavier L. Suarez is a former mayor of Miami (1985-1993 and 1997-1998) and a former Miami-Dade County commissioner (2011-2020).

This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 4:16 AM.