This story was updated on June 12, 2025.
Miami city commissioners are poised to vote on a major change to the city's elections at next week's commission meeting — but Florida's Attorney General warns they're going about it the wrong way.
A proposal from Commissioner Damian Pardo would move the city's local elections from odd years to even years and put them in line with presidential and midterm elections. The goal, he said, is to increase voter turnout, which is historically low during off-year voting cycles.
"Reform isn't something you wait for. You take it when you have it," Pardo told WLRN. "Moving [the election] to the general takes it from a 10-15% voter turnout to a 65-70% voter turnout."
In a special election held last Tuesday in the city's District 4, voter turnout was approximately 11%.
But the wrinkle in this plan is that it would extend the terms of elected officials who are currently in office and are termed out in 2025, namely Commissioner Joe Carollo and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. If this November's election is delayed, those elected officials would get another year in office.
READ MORE: New petition aims to expand Miami city commission, change elections
At the request of Miami Commissioner Miguel Gabela, Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an opinion on the proposed matter on Wednesday. Uthmeier said any amendment to the city's charter to shift elections would have to be decided on by ballot initiative.
"If the City of Miami is to amend its charter, either to move the date of municipal elections or to change the terms of office for elected officials, then the change may only proceed by a vote of the elector,” Uthmeier wrote.
In a written statement responding to Uthmeier's opinion, Pardo said he is consulting with Miami's City Attorney about the best legal way forward, but he disagrees with the Attorney General's interpretation.
"We have immense respect for the Office of the Attorney General; however, the stated opinion is not a mandatory precedent in the State of Florida and is regarded as persuasive," Pardo wrote. "Multiple municipalities across Florida have already transitioned to even-year elections through ordinances without requiring voter referendums."
'Power grab'
The proposal has already been met with controversy among some city residents — particularly those who are running to replace the incumbent Suarez.
"This is a power grab from people who can't seem to let go of power," said mayoral candidate Ken Russell. "There is no reason to skip this year’s election. It’s disenfranchising voters who elected them to very specific terms which will now be violated."
Russell, a former commissioner for the same city district that Pardo represents, told WLRN he is in support of moving elections to even years, but not by unilateral action from the commission.
He points to an existing petition called "Stronger Miami" that proposes the same change by having the citizens vote on it.
"If their interest is even year voting they can easily pass a resolution directing the city attorney to put this on the ballot. A unilateral vote of the commission is unnecessary and creates an inconsistency with our charter," Russell said.
Russell's fellow Democrat in the mayoral race, current County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, did not opine on whether the elections should be moved. She said she will continue campaigning all the same.
"This is in the hands of the city of Miami commission. Should they move the election, I’ll still be running for mayor," Higgins told WLRN.
Higgins currently sits on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, and under Florida law would have to resign from that position in order to run for city mayor. She does not have to do so until the qualifying period for the mayor's race, however, so if the election is moved to 2026, she can remain as County Commissioner until then.
Emilio Gonzalez, a Republican who is also running for the nonpartisan mayor's seat, was not so diplomatic about the prospect of campaigning for another year.
"What the City of Miami Commission is trying to do is simple: change the election date without voter approval to extend their terms and advance their political agendas. In other words: a power grab," Gonzalez told WLRN in a written statement. "It’s a slap in the face to Miami voters, who just last November approved a referendum to change the runoff election dates. We should trust Miami voters to decide the direction of their own government."
Gonzalez supports Uthmeier's interpretation of the law, and congratulated the Florida Attorney General on "defending the rights" of Miami voters.
Lifetime term limits
Pardo has another item on the agenda seen as a companion piece to his elections ordinance: a measure that would install lifetime term limits on Miami elected officials. Under this item, anyone elected two times to the office of mayor or commissioner in their lifetime would not be able to run for office in the city again.
This would need to be approved by voters, and would take the form of a question on the next ballot should the commission pass it.
The change would directly affect Carollo, who has served two terms as commissioner for District 3 and is expected to run for mayor (though he hasn't put his name in yet). It would also lock out Xavier Suarez, father to Francis and former Mayor of Miami elected in 1985 and again in 1997. Political insiders have suspected the elder Suarez might run for his old seat once more, according to the Miami Herald.
It also stands to affect Carollo's brother, Frank Carollo, who declared his candidacy for District 3 commissioner in March. Frank previously served eight years as District 3 Commissioner from 2009 to 2017, and is now gunning for his old seat. If he were to win election this year on the same ballot that voters approved lifetime term limits, he would have standing to sue and invalidate the new law.
Pardo said this issue is part of the calculus for moving to immediately change the election to 2026. That way there would be no confusion should anyone try to run who has already served eight years.
"So in our thinking that is a tradeoff, but it's a small tradeoff relative to changing the political landscape in the City of Miami — which is what we’ve been trying to do for a year and a half," Pardo said.
A political committee associated with Damian Pardo called "We Can Do Better Miami" recently funded a survey of Miami voters to see their thoughts on both of Pardo's proposals.
More than 60% of those surveyed were in favor of lifetime term limits and for moving city elections to even years. The survey was conducted over the course of two days and reached 400 Miami residents who voted in at least one of the last four even year elections.
The City of Miami Commission meeting was due to take place on Thursday but has now been postponed to Tuesday, June 17, owing to a family emergency for one of the commissioners.
