A proposal to establish lifetime term limits for Miami elected officials appears to have been weakened by recent changes, which create a potential loophole. Originally designed to limit officials to two terms as commissioner and mayor, the modified proposal allows time served in special elections to be excluded from term limits. This adjustment means that figures like Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Mayor Xavier Suarez could potentially return to office as early as November 2026. A City Commission vote is scheduled for July 10, 2025, to finalize this revised term limits proposal.
The initial proposal sought to limit elected officials to two terms as commissioner and two terms as mayor during their lifetime - a change that the item's sponsor, Commissioner Damian Pardo, has described as "transformational policy." Part of what made the proposal so transformational was that it did not define the length of time that constitutes a term, meaning that even one day in office could count as a term.
But recent changes to the proposal ahead of a key vote next week have created a loophole that could allow Commissioner Joe Carollo or former Mayor Xavier Suarez to return as mayor as early as November 2026.
The proposal now states that elected officials in Miami would be limited to two four-year terms as mayor and commissioner, excluding "any time served as a result of having been elected to fill a vacancy" - meaning that candidates who won special elections could still serve two additional four-year terms.
Next week, the City Commission is scheduled to take a second, final vote on the proposal. If commissioners vote in favor of the item on July 10, the term limits language will be sent to voters on a ballot this November in a special election.
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