In Miami election, four referendums — and a funeral for common sense

While everyone’s gossiping about which of Miami’s 13 mayoral hopefuls will make it to the runoff — and whether Joe Carollo will start yelling before or after Election Day — voters might miss the fine print on the four ballot referendums that could quietly reshape City Hall.
Because the devil isn’t always in the candidates — it’s in the charter amendments.
After all the hand-wringing over the election year change — which was so important that the commission actually cancelled this year’s election to get ‘er done — that charger amendment will not be on the ballot. They couldn’t get it together in time, which kind of begs the question of how important it really was. Also, the lifetime term limits item was supposedly “intricately intertwined” with the election year change. Or was that just a sales pitch?
Read related: City of Miami election year change won’t make November ballot, after all
The referendums that did make it to the ballot are:
The ‘We should’ve done this 30 years ago’ charter review commission
The first ballot question is the most harmless-sounding: create a Charter Review Commission to review the city’s constitution every ten years. Apparently, Miami’s been winging it for decades.
Commissioner Ralph Rosado, the new kid on the dais, says he was “surprised” to learn there was no system for regular charter reviews. Welcome to Miami, Ralph. Around here, we don’t fix the roof until it’s raining inside.
Each commissioner, the mayor, and the city manager would appoint one member — which means yes, it will still be political, but at least it’ll be scheduled. The group would hold public hearings, take input, and recommend changes that might later end up on the ballot.
Ladra’s verdict: It could be politically charged. It will be more bureaucracy. But it’s a necessary evil.
PS: Don’t be surprised if the “public hearings” end up happening in front of the same ten political insiders who show up for everything. You know who you are.
The ‘Trust us, we’ll get a fair price’ land sale loophole
This one should make taxpayers clutch their wallets. The city wants to loosen the rules for selling city-owned land — a change pushed by City Manager Art Noriega, who says the current system makes it too hard to sell “excess” property.
Right now, the city needs three bids or voter approval to sell land worth over $500,000. This amendment would let the City Commission approve the sale with a 4–1 vote if they can’t get enough bidders. Voters would still have to approve the sale if it’s waterfront property.
Read related: The city of Miami wants to sell your public land with no public vote
Noriega says it’s just about two leftover residential lots in The Roads neighborhood that the city could not turn into pocket parks, but c’mon. This is Miami. “Excess property” today could be “exclusive luxury development” tomorrow.
Las malas lenguas say this could be about the sale and redevelopment of the Miami Police Department headquarters, which sits on a pricy piece of property in the downtown.
Ladra’s verdict: Hard no. The words “City of Miami” and “real estate deal” in the same sentence should always make you nervous. The city does not have the best track record with its stewardship of public land.
P.S.: Somewhere, a lobbyist just heard this and ordered another bottle of Dom.

The ‘No more gerrymandering (we promise this time)’ redistricting reform
After a federal judge tossed Miami’s last redistricting map for being racially gerrymandered — yes, that actually happened — the city agreed to create a citizens’ redistricting committee to draw future maps.
This referendum would ban maps drawn to favor or disfavor incumbents. Translation: no more slicing up Coconut Grove or Little Havana to protect commissioners’ turf.
It’s part of a lawsuit settlement that already cost taxpayers nearly $1.6 million in attorneys’ fees, thanks to the NAACP, GRACE, and other community groups who were tired of commissioners playing political Sudoku with neighborhoods.
Read related: Miami redistricting map is thrown out again, ACLU’s map is in for now
Ladra’s verdict: About time. But we’ll see how “independent” these “citizens” really are once commissioners start whispering their names into the mix.
P.S.: Expect at least one “concerned citizen” to be someone’s cousin. Probably a cousin with a PAC.
The ‘lifetime ban on professional politicians’ term limits
Here’s the one that’s got City Hall veterans clutching their pearls. Commissioner Damian Pardo’s referendum would create lifetime term limits — two terms for mayor, two for commissioner, period. No more sitting out a term and boomeranging back like a bad sequel.
That’s bad news for Miami’s political lifers who’ve been haunting City Hall since the 1980s. But of course, they managed to carve out a Carollo-sized loophole.
The first version of Pardo’s plan would’ve barred Joe Carollo from ever holding city office again, but the final version says that filling a vacancy — like when Joe became mayor in 1996 — doesn’t count. So, yes, Crazy Joe can still run.
Meanwhile, Frank Carollo is trying to reclaim his old District 3 seat, meaning Miami voters could end up with both Carollos back in power. Somewhere, the city charter just groaned. This amendment would prevent that kind of thing from happening again. So, Keon Hardemon might have to make other plans.
Ladra’s verdict: Vote yes. If we ever want a future that doesn’t look like a rerun from 1999, it’s time to send the dinosaurs to retirement — permanently.
P.S. Someone tell Joe this means he might actually have to get a hobby. And no, suing the city doesn’t count.
Read related: Bait and switch on lifetime term limits proposal for Miami mafia politicos
The bottom line is this: These four referendums don’t have glossy mailers or attack ads, but they’ll quietly decide how much control Miamians actually have over their own government — or whether the same five people keep calling the shots.
So after you bubble in your picks in the mayoral and commission races Nov. 4, scroll down that ballot. Read the fine print. Because in Miami, the quiet questions are sometimes the ones that matter most.
And if you don’t, don’t complain to Ladra later when your tax dollars end up paving the driveway of someone’s “excess” property.

Help Ladra bring you deep coverage of the city of Miami, the type of coverage you can’t get anywhere else, with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Thank you for your support of independent, watchdog journalism.

Read Full Story