Six Miami charter proposals face commission review

Written by Genevieve Bowen on July 23, 2025

As Miami gears up for elections this fall, the city commission is considering a slate of charter amendments dealing with land use policies, public officials’ pay and government transparency.

In its final meeting before the August recess, the Miami Commission is expected to vote on six proposed amendments on July 24 covering a range of issues from charter review and how the city sells public land to new standards governing elected officials’ salaries, communications and voluntary drug testing.

If approved, the ballot language for each measure will be submitted to the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections to be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot.

One proposal would ease restrictions on how the city can sell or lease public land that is not on the waterfront. Currently, the city must receive at least three bids after publicly advertising a property before commissioners can approve a deal. The proposed change would allow the commission to move forward with fewer than three proposals, but only for non-waterfront land, and only if the sale meets fair market value and is approved by a four-fifths commission vote. Safeguards for waterfront property would remain unchanged.

Another referendum, sponsored by Commissioner Ralph Rosado, would establish a recurring Charter Review Commission following each decennial census. The commission, made up of residents appointed by the mayor, city manager and commissioners, would be tasked with reviewing the charter, holding public hearings and recommending changes within a year of its formation.

The idea is to ensure the city’s foundational document is periodically updated to account for shifts in population and demographics. According to the legislative item, groups like the Florida League of Cities and the National Civic League advise cities to convene such commissions after each census to gather resident input and systematically evaluate local governance, thereby aligning charter revisions with the community’s changing needs.

The remaining four referendums are sponsored by Commissioner Joe Carollo.

One would require the city manager to investigate any non-frivolous complaints against an elected or appointed official within seven days, provided there is sufficient evidence of a violation of the city code and it meets the requirements of law.

Another would allow candidates and elected officials to voluntarily undergo and publicly disclose the results of drug tests. Candidates for mayor or commission would have two weeks after qualifying to release test results, while elected officials could choose to disclose results shortly after taking office or following passage of the amendment.

A separate measure would require that all meetings and communications between the mayor and city commissioners involving official city business or matters likely to come before the commission take place at publicly noticed meetings that are open to the public and documented in official minutes.

The final proposal would make the mayor’s position a full-time job, tie the salary to that of a US Congress member, currently about $174,000 annually, and prohibit outside employment. By city ordinance, the mayor’s current salary is $97,000 a year. The change would take effect immediately if approved by voters.

Each item requires support from at least four of the five commissioners to move forward. If passed this week, voters will have the final say in November.

Miami voters will also see two other referendums on the ballot, which the commission approved on July 10. One would ban gerrymandering and establish a Citizens’ Redistricting Committee to draw future commission maps through a transparent and independent process. The other proposes lifetime term limits, capping elected service at two terms as mayor and two as commissioner, retroactive to past terms.