After its first aggressive mayoral election in twenty years, the town of Miami has a brand new mayor: former Miami-Dade County commissioner Eileen Higgins.
All through the heated marketing campaign, each nationwide political events had been lively in organizing electorate and offering sources. Many high-profile politicians weighed in with endorsements and visits. Significantly, Republicans President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis counseled Higgins’ opponent, Emilio Gonzalez. In the meantime, Democrats Ruben Gallego – a senator from Arizona – and previous Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg supported Higgins.
Nonetheless, Miami’s mayoralty is formally a nonpartisan place. And because the announcing is going, there are not any Democratic or Republican potholes; they’re all of native worry.
I’m a political scientist with a selected hobby in native govt, and I’ve lived within the Larger Miami house for 30 years.
So what are the “potholes” confronting Miami’s new mayor?
Civility at the dais
Former Mayor Francis Suarez has a charismatic personality, however was once now not a forceful presence at the dais. All through his tenure, Town Fee conferences changed into spectacles, with shouting fits, name-calling,
and allegations of corruption.
Higgins, a bilingual, soft-spoken coverage wonk, has promised to set a brand new tone, main with civility and compassion. The day after the election, she reiterated that promise: “The era of commissioners yelling at one another and threatening to punch one another is going to stop.”
Reasonably priced housing
Affordability and the price of residing had been the most important substantive marketing campaign problems, with the price of housing topping the listing.
For the second one 12 months in a row, the monetary services and products company UBS lists Miami as the town at best possible possibility for a housing bubble. Every other find out about ranked the Miami metro house because the least inexpensive housing marketplace nationally.
A large number of the town’s fresh enlargement has came about within the type of new high-rise condos, that are unaffordable on a working-class wage.
Joe Raedle/Getty Photographs Information by way of Getty Photographs North The us
Whilst housing provide and costs are in large part made up our minds by way of marketplace forces, govt officers can set prerequisites to advertise focused investments. Higgins has urged forming a city-run housing agree with fund, very similar to Miami-Dade County. She has additionally proposed dedicating city-owned land to inexpensive housing initiatives and reforming the town’s allow procedure.
Constitution reform
Constitution reform problems, together with shifting metropolis elections from unusual to even years to align with nationwide elections, are at the time table. Regardless that a court docket deemed the Town Fee’s try to transfer this 12 months’s election invalid, Higgins stated she helps shifting the election date, pledging to chop her time period brief to facilitate. This alteration will require commissioners to carry a referendum and electorate to give a boost to it.
There is also a debate about converting the scale of the Town Fee from 5 to seven or 9 commissioners. Higgins supported this concept, noting that different Florida towns the scale of Miami have greater commissions. This constitution trade would additionally require voter approval, however wishes the fee to behave or for electorate to begin the method. The mayor’s position can be to recommend for the desire for higher illustration of neighborhoods and govt responsiveness.
Immigration enforcement
In a metropolis the place just about 60% of the inhabitants is foreign-born, immigration problems loom huge.
In June 2025, after a contentious assembly, the fee voted 3-2 to approve a 287(g) settlement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to help Trump’s enforcement measures.
Whilst Higgins can’t take away the town from the settlement, she plans to attenuate Miami’s involvement with immigration enforcement. “There’s no reason in the city of Miami that our police department should be in the job of federal immigration enforcement,” she instructed the click.
Town funds
Municipal budgets had been squeezed by way of state insurance policies and state Division of Govt Potency efforts. Fresh federal cuts to social provider and transportation grants have exacerbated the issue.
Now, state leaders are proposing to get rid of assets taxes in 2026, additional straining native coffers. Public spending will wish to be lowered, or revenues changed. The mayor makes funds proposals, however it’s commissioners who approve them. Higgins will wish to lead via persuasion and transparent explanations.
