City of Miami election year change won’t make November ballot, after all

Cancelled: The special Miami commission meeting Friday to put two questions on the November ballot — one to change the municipal election year and another to approve a new and improved Marine Stadium deal.
Also cancelled: The November referendums on both those things.
There was no quorum at the meeting Friday, said City Manager Art Noriega, who added that the marine stadium item was not ready anyway. Apparently, Commissioners Joe Carollo, Miguel Gabela and Christine King had better things to do. Carollo missed his morning “Crazy Joe Show” on America Radio for “city business,” but we don’t know what that was, if not the meeting.
“We were going to defer one or two items anyway and I think that may have led to the fact that we don’t have a quorum,” Noriega told a room full of people who were there to speak on both items and apologized. He said “there are new dynamics” to the marine stadium deal, which means that is the one that was going to be deferred.
Read related: Miami Marine Stadium’s revival plan could be on city’s November ballot
“We are still full steam ahead on getting the marine stadium done. So, don’t be disheartened that we’re not going to get it on the ballot in November,” Noriega said. “We are still 100% committed.”
Not so much commitment on the other item, though: The election year change that has caused much hand-wringing and legal expenses on the city’s part after three commissioners tried to move this year’s mayoral and the districts 3 and 5 elections to next year — effectively giving themselves an extra 12 months in office — without the voter’s permission. Mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez sued to stop it from happening and four judges told the city to stuff it. Then, both Mayor Francis Suarez and Commissioner Damian Pardo — who had sponsored and championed the change by ordinance — said they were going to put it on the ballot as quickly as possible.
Turns out, it’s not going to be possible this year.
“As for the other item, I really don’t have a perspective on that, and if it will come back or when,” Noriega said, not even saying what the other item was.
And did he just say “if?”
How did this very important piece of election reform, so important that commissioners were willing to cancel an election and give themselves and extra year in office, suddenly get on the back burner. Oh, wait…
“Guess it’s not important if it didn’t give them an extra year in office,” former Commissioner Ken Russell posted on his social media, where he also posted a photo of himself qualifying for the mayoral race, the first of an expected boatload of candidates to do so on the first day Friday. The deadline is Sept. 20.
But it was still going to give them an extra year in office. There’s just no hurry now.
A source in Pardo’s office said Friday that as the last opportunity for the commission to approve the ballot language and submit the question to the county supervisor of elections.
The election change referendum would have asked voters whether to align City of Miami elections with state and federal cycles to increase participation and reduce costs. If approved, it would begin in 2032, which means that those elected in 2027 (districts 1, 2 and 4) and those elected in 2029 (districts 3 and 5) would get a bonus year in office.
“This single five-year period would exist solely for that purpose. Those elected during those cycles would have voter approval for the additional year,” Pardo said. “More importantly, this reform would not affect the terms of the current mayor or commissioners.”
Read related: City of Miami drops legal fight to change/cancel election, takes it to voters
Well, that last part is not entirely true. It might affect Pardo and commissioners Gabela or Ralph Rosado. Only Commissioner Carollo and Mayor Francis Suarez are termed out. Chairwoman King will be termed out after the next term, if she is reelected in November.
Pardo did not return calls and texts to his cellphone and district office. His chief of staff, Anthony Balzebre, also did not return a call and a text. At this point, it might be Pardo’s orders to ignore Ladra. But an outside public relations consultant sent out a really lame statement on the commissioner’s behalf:

“We’re disappointed that two voter referendums could not be heard today due to a lack of quorum. The special meeting was scheduled to advance two items to the ballot: moving City of Miami elections to even-numbered years and advancing the Miami Marine Stadium item.

“Both were drafted ballot questions so residents, not commissioners, would make the final decision, but for those resolutions to move forward, a commission vote was required. With only two commissioners present, short of the three needed for a quorum, the meeting could not proceed, and the commission did not take any votes,” Pardo said in his carefully crafted message, where he again stressed the importance of increasing voter participation from 20% to 70% or more.
But he didn’t limit his comments to his precious election reform.

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