A new chairwoman will lead the Miami Commission, possibly signaling a growing divide between two Democrats in the city’s government.
City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins announced she’s taken over as chair of the city commission, replacing longtime Chairwoman Christine King.
Higgins campaigned last year saying she’d take a more active role in the city government than her predecessor Francis Suarez, partly by assuming the role of chairperson. This allows her to set the flow of city meetings and call for votes. City commissioners must also obtain her permission to speak during certain discussions, and she may also set rules for decorum from the public and on the dais.
King, the first woman to lead the commission, had been chair since 2021. Tensions have grown between the two leaders, in part due to wrestling for control of the commission, and in part owing to their own dueling initiatives.
Higgins and King both pushed competing grant applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year. Higgins’ bid for a pedestrian bridge at Freedom Park was successful, while King’s bid for a public heritage trail in Overtown was not.
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