Election decision is another example of how Miami city hall is broken and tone-deaf | Opinion
Miami voters have been disenfranchised — but not fooled. Residents know this city isn’t working the way it should — not for families stuck in permitting backlogs, not for small businesses tangled in red tape and not for the workers who keep this city running but can no longer afford to live here.
The decision by city leaders to arbitrarily extend their own terms by a full year without voter approval is yet another clear example of why so many are fed up with the dysfunction at city hall. It’s a deeply flawed move now being challenged in both the court of law and the court of public opinion — and in the latter, commissioners have already lost.
I declared to run for mayor of Miami in April. While I support reforms like moving municipal elections to even-numbered years to boost voter turnout, those reforms must be enacted with transparency and public consent — not through backroom deals or hasty decisions made without community input.
The right decision would have been to proceed with the election this November. Instead, city leaders have handed themselves an unelected year in office and set up a potential December 2026 runoff that will cost taxpayers more and likely attract fewer voters.
If I’m elected mayor of Miami, I would support reducing the new mayor’s term by one year and moving the election to 2028 to achieve optimal voter participation.
Assuming efforts to maintain the 2025 election are successful and I win, I will propose this change within my first 30 days in office and put the question of future election timing on the ballot — where it belongs. My proposal would ensure greater voter participation and begin the process of rebuilding trust between elected officials and the people they serve.
Sadly, residents have seen once again why city hall is broken and tone-deaf to our community’s needs — and, in this most recent case, their rights.
It’s time to fix what’s broken by actually getting things done. As a county commissioner, I’ve delivered tangible results: built or preserved thousands of affordable and workforce housing units, invested nearly $3 million in small business grants, expanded affordable public transit, and championed fair wages and safer streets. I didn’t do it by playing politics — I did it by showing up, solving problems, and putting people first.
City hall needs leadership that cuts through bureaucracy, empowers public employees and listens to the people we serve. It needs someone who’s not afraid to roll up their sleeves and do the work.
I love this city. I live here, ride the bus here, shop local and talk to residents every day about what’s not working.
Miami doesn’t need more political maneuvering. It needs true public servants.
Eileen Higgins is a Miami-Dade County commissioner representing District 5, which includes sections of Miami. Higgins is running for mayor of Miami.