Miami commission can’t decide on how to fill vacant seat. The debate will continue
Update: On Sunday, Jan. 8, commissioners made a decision on how to fill the District 2 seat until this year’s November election. Read more here.
Miami commissioners appeared to be channeling Congress on Saturday when they couldn’t decide how to fill the vacant District 2 seat.
After a daylong meeting Saturday with hours of advocacy and debate and four rounds of ballots cast by the remaining commissioners, there was no decision.
Following the resignation of former commissioner Ken Russell on Dec. 29, the city of Miami’s four remaining commissioners had 10 days to either appoint a replacement to serve for the last 10 months of his term or call a special election that would be held in late February. On Saturday, commissioners heard from 17 applicants and dozens of public speakers who either pushed their preferred candidates or advocated for a special election.
In the end, commissioners were split 2-2. Chairwoman Christine King and Commissioner Manolo Reyes wanted an election and did not change their minds through four votes. Commissioners Joe Carollo and Alex Díaz de la Portilla wanted an appointment. Commissioners voted on paper ballots that were read aloud by the clerk after each round. King and Reyes consistently voted for no one.
With no consensus and the afternoon fading into the evening, Carollo and Díaz de la Portilla pushed to call a recess. King and Reyes obliged, agreeing to pick up the conversation at 2 p.m. Sunday. They have until 5 p.m. to appoint someone. If they don’t appoint someone by then, a special election must be called.
“The people should decide who their representative is,” King said during the discussion.
Carollo and Díaz de la Portilla argued that a special election would be costly — the city would have to spend an estimated $330,000 on the off-cycle election.
Carollo also said if the city lost a lawsuit challenging the city’s recently redrawn district boundaries, then another election might have to be held anyway. He also noted that under a new state law, many of the voters who do not know they have to request vote-by-mail ballots again might not remember to participate in the election, lessening turnout.
Another point that was debated: In a special election, the highest vote-getter would win. There would be no runoff election.
Reyes and King repeatedly said they believe District 2 voters should decide for themselves, and the cost shouldn’t be an issue.
Through public comments, it became clear two candidates had mobilized supporters. Martin Zilber, the attorney and former Miami-Dade judge who resigned from his position as he faced discipline following allegations of misconduct, and James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance. Several speakers also backed attorney Lorenzo Palomares.
In the rounds of voting, Díaz de la Portilla voted for Zilber each time, and Carollo voted for Zilber, Torres and plastic surgeon Dr. Jorge Suarez-Menendez in different rounds.
One surprise candidate emerged from the group when he applied in the 11th hour during the meeting Saturday: former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey.
“I want to offer what I can in a more narrow, temporary, custodian role,” Coffey said, pledging to be a caretaker who would not run to hold onto the seat in the Nov 7 election.
A dwindling audience grew weary during each round of voting, with some commenting that the process started to resemble House Republicans’ struggle to elected a new Speaker of the House in recent days.
Commissioners are expected to reconvene to continue the discussion at 2 p.m. Sunday at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Dr. District 2 includes most of Miami’s coastal neighborhoods, from Coconut Grove north through Brickell, downtown, Edgewater and Morningside.
