Making Miami Mayor Responsible for Implementing Grand Vision Empowers Voters

Alex Penelas.

When you think of the mayors of important cities like New York and Los Angeles, you think of someone that has the power to get things done, that can be held directly accountable for the city’s performance.

Many people in Miami think of Mayor Francis Suarez in the same way. A citizen imagines they can dial him up and ask him to fix their pothole, and he’s going to get it done. And, if he doesn’t fix the pothole or follow through on a big infrastructure project, they think he can be recalled.

Neither of these assumptions is currently true.

Right now all that Mayor Suarez can do is bring the problem to the attention of the city manager, who will then decide what to do about it and when to act. The real power today lies in an appointed city administrator, who is not elected and therefore does not respond directly to the public.

In the City of Miami, recalling an elected official is close to impossible, because the City charter doesn’t outline how it needs to be done. 

This November, residents of Miami can fix that by voting for a change in the charter that will make the mayor the top administrator in the city. For the first time, the mayor of Miami will be held accountable for his vision and has ability to implement it.

And, if he doesn’t follow through on his plans, residents of Miami will be able to recall him and the commissioners.

I have been in public service for many years and I have worked under many of these forms of government. As a result of this experience Mayor Suarez asked me to review the charter change. I found it to have the right level of necessary checks and balances between the legislative functions of the city commission and the mayor’s new role.

At the end of the day, this is not just about Mayor Suarez. This will stay in place for future mayors as well. Miami is on the cusp of greatness. It is already a phenomenal city and its being recognized internationally. It’s a brand. But it has the challenges of poverty, lack of transportation, critical infrastructure needs, etc. So, we should give visionaries like Mayor Suarez the tools to follow through on their ideas and the rules for voters to hold the mayor directly accountable if he doesn’t.

Alex Penelas is former Miami-Dade Mayor

His email address is apenelas@apandcompany.com

His Twitter is @apenelas.


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