Miami-Dade is threatening the independence of its top watchdog | Opinion

Miami-Dade County has an admirable record of fighting corruption, by rooting out fraud, waste and abuse in county offices and agencies. The Board of County Commissioners boldly became the first local government in Florida to create an independent Office of the Inspector General. The key to the success of the OIG has been its independence.

The OIG does not report to any elected officials and has full discretion to investigate, follow the evidence and seek prosecution of individuals who have violated the law. After more than two decades of laudable accomplishments, on Nov. 3, 2020, the voters enshrined the OIG into the Home Rule Charter.

The independence of the office allows cases to proceed without fear or favor. Recently, an investigation of corrupt practices led to the indictment, arrest and conviction of former County Commissioner Joe Martinez. The OIG also routinely investigates county transactions involving questionable parties, who often claim to enjoy close relations with county officials. The OIG, by design, serves and protects the taxpayers, not any one individual.

Are there consequences? Perhaps.

The independence of the OIG is now being jeopardized by legislative maneuvers. Since November 2024, a commissioner has placed a hold on the renewal of the contract for the current Inspector General. This unwarranted legislative delay may be unsettling and annoying, but it has not deterred the OIG from its mission.

More importantly, an upcoming piece of legislation, if adopted without amendments by the Board, could seriously erode the independence of the OIG. The proposed legislation includes significant changes to the selection process for future inspectors general. To maintain independence, a selection committee, composed of key officeholders in the criminal justice arena — not the mayor or county commissioners — selects the IG. It is a model process, crafted by the commissioners themselves to protect the selection process from politics and lobbying.

Today, the selection committee is composed of individuals who occupy respected offices in the criminal justice arena: the state attorney, the public defender, the chair of the Ethics Commission, the president of the Miami-Dade Police Chiefs Association and the special agent in charge of the Miami Field Office of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

The proposed legislation removes the president of the Miami-Dade Police Chiefs Association and the FDLE special agent. It adds the elected county sheriff to the committee. Unlike the other prominent offices, the sheriff may opt not to serve and can appoint a delegate. The legislation adds six other individuals appointed by the following:

• The chapter president of the American Society for Public Administration;
• The chapter president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys;
• The dean of the FIU Law School;
• The dean of the University of Miami Law School;
•  The dean of the St. Thomas University Law School;
• The Miami-Dade League of Cities.

Having a majority of the selection committee members chosen by others, rather than by virtue of the positions they hold in our community, opens the door to lobbying. The various appointing authorities could be pressured to appoint individuals who are known to favor a particular candidate. Future mayors, commissioners or candidates could lobby for certain appointees to influence the selection process. Only the proposed change to add the elected sheriff is consistent with the current standard.

The County Commission should not loosen the standards for the selection committee. The OIG is the taxpayers’ best ally in the fight against government corruption. It is an accredited agency of the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement. The Association of Inspectors General has recently declared the OIG fully complies with all applicable quality standards.

This legislation, as written, unnecessarily puts the independence of the OIG at risk. Why open this selection process to manipulation?

Terry Murphy is an adjunct professor in the public administration program at the University of Miami and currently serves on the transition team for city of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins.