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Most voters in the City of South Miami probably are unaware that there is a charter amendment on the ballot this August. Let’s start with what the mayor and the commissioners have set out to accomplish with the ballot amendment and the language.
This Charter requires four votes of the City Commission to issue bonds or borrow money, and five votes if such indebtedness exceeds five percent of the City’s operating budget.
This Charter amendment would amend the Charter to require three votes of the Commission where debt is subject to voter referendum at a General Election, and four votes where the debt is not subject to voter approval.
Shall the amendment described above be adopted? YES, NO
The change in policy would allow the city the opportunity to meet the critical infrastructure needs of the city with possible borrowing as a tool. Today, and for the past 20 years, that option has been effectively foreclosed as a single commissioner could thwart both the will of voters and a supermajority of the city commission by withholding his or her support.
I agree with this proposal for several reasons. Progress requires investment in public infrastructure and spaces, like streetscapes, public plazas, sanitary sewers, and existing and new parks. In the absence of this investment, the city has remained stagnant and fallen behind its peers. To catch up, the city will need to issue bonds to address both deferred maintenance and meet future resident needs. The proposed charter encourages the city commission to seek voter approval by reducing the vote threshold on such borrowing, while preserving a reasonable check on reckless borrowing by either the current or future commission by requiring supermajority (4 out of 5) on any borrowing not approved by voters.
Championed by Mayor Javier Fernandez, who noted, “I’m proud to vote YES on the South Miami Charter Amendment in the August election. This referendum is an important step towards preserving residents’ voices while arming the city commission with the ability to make needed investments in our parks and public spaces. As your mayor and as a father, there’s nothing more important to me than keeping South Miami beautiful and ensuring its prosperity for generations to come.”
Our mayor and city commissioners are asking South Miami residents to vote YES on the South Miami Charter Amendment on Aug. 20 and I agree and believe it would be in the city’s best interest.
Return your vote by mail ballot ASAP, vote early Aug. 5-18, or vote on Aug. 20!
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