Rodney Harris: Miami Gardens mayor cites taxable value rise and stability

Since becoming the mayor of Miami Gardens in 2020, Rodney Harris’ biggest motivation to build the city a thriving, productive place to live, worship, work and play has been the commitment to residents who initially placed him in public service.

In November 2012, he was elected a councilman and in August 2016, he was re-elected for a second term. Later in his career as a public servant, he was appointed as Miami Gardens’ vice mayor in 2018. On Nov.16, 2020, Mr. Harris took the oath of office becoming the city’s third mayor since its inception in 2003.

“I think we’ve done a great job since I became the mayor,” he told Miami Today. “What we’ve accomplished in the past few years has really been something that has gained a lot of attention from a lot of places and people.”

Mayor Harris said his commitment to the residents includes a new city center, which is part of the city’s Entertainment Overlay District, creating more public parks and more workforce housing.

Born and raised in Miami-Dade County, Mayor Harris moved his family to the City of Miami Gardens more than 20 years ago. Since then, he and his wife, Shebra, a public school teacher, have successfully raised five children.

He has spent most of his adult career in government starting as a senior juvenile probation officer for the State of Florida, Mayor Harris focused his time on helping youth make better decisions and be productive members of their community.

He co-founded the Department of Juvenile Justice’s “Success Through Empowerment Program” (STEP). The mentoring program targets both at-risk youth and youth who have had contact with the criminal justice system. The STEP program was recognized by the Davis Prudential Award for outstanding service to the State of Florida.

For about six years, he went on and served as a high school football coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior High, during which time the team was undefeated for two years (2006 and 2007) and went on to win a national championship (2007). Mayor Harris also helped organize a non-profit support group for students, Dreamers 2010, a scholarship program designed to help increase the chances of inner-city youth to obtain a college education.

His parents instilled in him, and his five brothers and sister the importance of family, moral values, hard work, and a Christian faith, he said. Mayor Harris went on to further his education on a football scholarship to Iowa State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and institutional management.

He is also currently the co-chair of the Miami Gardens Community Redevelopment Area. He serves as an executive board member of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, an advisory board member for the Sylvester Cancer Center, and on the Miami Gardens Charter Review Committee.

He was recognized by Legacy magazine as one of Miami’s 50 most powerful and influential black professionals in business and industry and was selected as one of the honorees of the Miami Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board’s 2019 black history month Vessels and Triumphant Spirits exhibits.

“I’m proud to say that I am the mayor of Miami Gardens, and I look forward to continuing to be the mayor for another four years, and just making sure that hopes and dreams of the people of this community are fulfilled,” he said. “Those promises that we made years ago, like the $60 million obligation bond fund for public parks. We told our residents that we would convert a 35-acre piece of land into a place (Entertainment Overlay District) that they can be proud of and where they can work, play and live, and I’m committed to delivering those promises for the City of Miami Gardens.”

Mayor Harris Spoke with Miami Today reporter Abraham Galvan.

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