Charter proposal to expand Miami commission one step closer to ballot

The latest: Stronger Miami, which describes itself as a collaboration of local grassroots organizations, says it has cleared the 20,000-signature threshold it says it needs to get the proposals onto the 2026 ballot.

Catch up quick: Here are the three major changes to the charter the group is proposing.

🗳️ Commission size: The size of the City Commission would expand from five to nine members under the proposed amendment.

• Stronger Miami says this would reduce the power of any one commissioner, give residents more access to their elected leaders and make it more affordable to run for office.

🗓️ Election dates: City general elections would be held in November of even-numbered years instead of odd-numbered years.

• Aligning local elections with federal and state elections would increase voter participation and reduce costs to the city, Stronger Miami says.

• Commissioners have already voted to make this change in 2032, but Stronger Miami has said that is too far away, according to WLRN.

🗺️ Redistricting: The petition also seeks to prohibit commission districts from being drawn to favor or disfavor a political party while requiring districts to "respect neighborhoods and follow major geographic boundaries."

What's next: The signatures still need to be verified by the elections office.