Miami residents don’t need power-grabbing politicians or term extensions | Opinion

On Tuesday, the Miami city commission will consider one of the most troubling proposals we’ve seen in recent memory: a lifetime limit on the number of times you can serve on the commission or as mayor and a one-year extension of current elected terms.

Let’s call this what it is — a calculated power grab dressed up as “reform.”

Commissioner Damian Pardo wants to rewrite the rules of democracy to serve his political agenda — limiting who can run, extending the terms of those already in power and hoping voters won’t notice what’s really at stake.

In his own Miami Herald opinion article, Pardo claims these changes are “common-sense reforms” that will make government more responsive and fiscally responsible. But there’s nothing common-sense about restricting future candidates or giving current officeholders another year in power. That’s not innovation — that’s interference.

Let’s be clear: A lifetime ban on candidacy isn’t a term limit — it’s a muzzle. I get it. Like many residents, I’ve rolled my eyes seeing the same names pop up on the ballot time and again. But that’s not a flaw in the system — it’s called democracy, and it’s built on trust in the voters, not fear of their choices.

Already, the Florida attorney general has said the city of Miami needs to pose the question to voters. But the city is planning to go ahead and vote on the issue on Tuesday.

This proposal sends a clear message of distrust — not in the politicians who run, but in the people they’re supposed to serve. And it’s an insult to those of us who believe public office is a privilege earned through debate, votes and accountability, not insider rules designed to limit the field.

That should concern every Miami resident — no matter your politics.

Democracy isn’t about whether you like a candidate. It’s about whether people have the right to decide. I may not want to vote for certain names — and honestly, I probably won’t. But I should still have the option. That’s what voting is. That’s what democracy is.

When the government decides who’s allowed to run and who isn’t, it’s not just punishing a candidate — it’s silencing the people.

This proposal flips the idea of voter participation on its head. It shrinks the field of candidates. It consolidates power. When politicians start deciding who’s allowed to run, what they’re really saying is that they don’t trust you to decide for yourself.

And if that weren’t enough, this plan also extends the terms of current officials — including Pardo’s political friends and the sitting mayor — by an entire year. No election. No campaign. The Miami Herald reported Suarez is lobbying in favor of Pardo’s measure. Meanwhile, no say from the voters.

If Pardo were truly serious about reform, he’d be fighting to expand representation, not restrict it. One of the most impactful proposals raised in recent months is to increase the number of city commission districts from five to nine.

Miami has nearly half a million residents, yet only five commissioners. When you expand districts, you bring government closer to the people. You make sure places like downtown Miami and Brickell — vibrant neighborhoods with growing populations — finally have a seat at the table. That’s how you empower voters. That’s how you strengthen democracy.

Miami doesn’t need more restrictions. We need more access — more voices at the table, not more barriers around it. A government rooted in trust doesn’t fear opposition, it welcomes competition. That’s how you earn public confidence.

So let’s open the doors wider. Let candidates run freely. Let voters engage, deliberate and decide who serves this city — not through political shortcuts or gatekeeping, but through fair and transparent elections.

Because in a free society, you don’t silence your opponents — you beat them at the ballot box.

James Torres is president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance and is a former candidate for the Miami city commission.