Herald recommends: Commission candidate’s knowledge, life experience can boost Miami Beach | Opinion

In the run-up to the Dec. 6 runoff to the Miami Beach City Commission, we reiterate our recommendation for candidate Sabrina Cohen. She is facing Laura Dominguez for the seat left vacant by the untimely death of Commissioner Mark Samuelian, 58, in June.

In a crowded field of candidates, Dominguez and Cohen came in first and second, respectively, but neither reached the winning threshold of 50% of the vote, plus one. Hence, the runoff.

During the Editorial Board’s initial interviews with the five candidates vying for the seat, we were impressed that Cohen, a Realtor, was the only candidate who included development, and overdevelopment, in her top three list of major concerns that the Beach has to address. She supported two development proposals on the Nov. 8 ballot — for Lincoln Road and the site of the now-demolish Deauville in North Beach — that voters spurned at the polls.

However, she also wants to bring balance to what does and doesn’t get built. “Really, looking at what projects will bring a better quality of life to our residents versus just more developments in the city — particularly addressing and creating work, live, play communities, I believe, will just help grow our community and make it a more safe and easily accessible environment . . . for our residents,” she told the Board. We think that’s the right approach.

The city, too, has become a victim of its own global success as the place for tourists to come see and be seen. Residents want something different and calmer; a personality change that will let them enjoy their city, particularly South Beach, again.

Cohen understands that Miami Beach is a city in flux, growing into its next identity. Pressures are coming from sea-level rise, crime and development. Cohen says that raising the streets in the Sunset Harbor neighborhood, next to Biscayne Bay, has been effective in turning back the effects of climate change.

Sabrina Cohen told the Board that she supports a stronger police presence to combat crime. “But in addition to that, I think we need to create organized programs that can help different people in our community, and most important, make our residents feel safe again. That’s is a big priority for our residents.”

She also decried the implied racism of a now-suspended ordinance that imposed a 20-foot buffer around police responding to incidents — two Black men were brutally arrested. She wants to find a balance between fairness and ensuring that people know that breaking the law will not be tolerated.

She says that workforce housing is a must for the city.

Cohen also brings a compelling personal narrative that we think will inform how the city accommodates a broader swath of residents and visitors. She experienced a spinal cord injury at 14 and has used a wheelchair ever since. Her 16-year-old, nonprofit Sabrina Cohen Foundation advocates for accessible outdoor spaces, including creating a program to help people with disabilities visit the beach. The foundation is working with the city to build a recreation facility for people with mobility challenges. Last year, the City Commission agreed to donate $2.5 million toward its construction.

When the Editorial Board asked how she would address potential conflicts of interest as a recipient of city funds, she said she consulted the city attorney and added, ”Should there be a conflict of interest down the road, should I be honored to be commissioner, I will address all those issues.”

Her opponent, Dominguez, is a digital marketing professional who had served as the late Samuelian’s campaign manager and treasurer. She was his “life partner.”

She cites tackling crime — “both in numbers and in perception” — as a priority. She opposed the unsuccessful Lincoln Road and Deauville proposals and says that the city’s infrastructure projects must be fast-tracked: “Prioritized, funded, scheduled and executed, because we need to keep our resiliency moving forward.”

Both are appealing, knowledgeable candidates who care about residents’ concerns regarding their quality of life in a tourist-packed city.

We again give Cohen the edge for her depth of knowledge about the workings of Miami Beach. As we said in our previous recommendation, “She’s current on what is happening now, and what needs to happen to make the city more livable.

“We think her life experiences will bring another dimension of community awareness to the commission dais.”

The Miami Herald Editorial Board recommends SABRINA COHEN in the Dec. 6 runoff for the Miami Beach Commission.