Miami-Dade county law and government
Encyclopedia
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
has its own government and provides such city-type services as police and zoning protection.
State voters amended the State of Florida’s Constitution in 1956 to allow for a Home Rule Charter. Dade County was granted the power to create commission districts, pass ordinances, create penalties, levy and collect taxes to support a centralized metropolitan form of government. The BCC may create municipalities, special taxing districts and other boards or authorities as needed. The Home Rule Charter for Miami-Dade County was adopted at referendum on May 21, 1957
The Charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
includes a Citizens Bill of Rights with provisions for: convenient access, truth in government, access to public records, the right to be heard, the right to timely notices, right to public hearing, no unreasonable postponements, prompt notice of actions and reasons, financial disclosure by candidates and other public officials, and a Commission on Ethics and the Public Trust.
On November 13, 1997 voters changed the name of the county from Dade to Miami-Dade to acknowledge the international name recognition of Miami.
An Executive Mayor and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners (BCC) govern the County. For more details on how the government is organized, look at the table of organization.
The County’s main administrative offices are located in the Stephen P. Clark Center (SPCC) at 111 NW 1ST Street in downtown Miami.
Federation, not total consolidation
Unlike a consolidated city-county, where the city and county governments merge into a single entity, these two entities remain separate. Instead there are two "tiers", or levels, of government: city and county. There are 35 municipalities in the county, the City of Miami being the largest.Cities are the "lower tier" of local government, providing police and fire protection, zoning and code enforcement, and other typical city services within their jurisdiction. These services are paid for by city taxes. The County is the "upper tier", and it provides services of a metropolitan nature, such as emergency management, airport and seaport operations, public housing and health care services, transportation, environmental services, solid waste disposal etc. These are funded by county taxes, which are assessed on all incorporated and unincorporated areas.
Of the county's 2.2 million total residents (as of 2000), approximately 52% live in unincorporated areas, the majority of which are heavily urbanized. These residents are part of the Unincorporated Municipal Services Area (UMSA). For these residents, the County fills the role of both lower- and upper-tier government, the County Commission acting as their lower-tier municipal representative body. Residents within UMSA pay an UMSA tax, equivalent to a city tax, which is used to provide County residents with equivalent city services (police, fire, zoning, water and sewer, etc.). Residents of incorporated areas do not pay UMSA tax.
Mayor
The Mayor is elected through a countywide vote and is not a member of the Commission. The Mayor has the power to veto actions of the Commission within ten days of their adoption. The Mayor appoints the County Manager, subject to the approval within 14 days of a majority of Commissioners. Both the Mayor and the Commission have the power to remove a County Manager, requiring a two-thirds vote of Commissioners then in office. No one elected as Mayor may serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. Each year the Mayor delivers a state of the county report (usually in January) and a budget address (usually in July). The post of mayor is currently held by Carlos A. GiménezCarlos A. Gimenez
Carlos A. Giménez is a Cuban American retired firefighter and Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida, elected to office June 28, 2011 in a special election...
.
Board of County Commissioners
One County Commissioner is elected from each of Miami-Dade County’s 13 districts to serve a four-year term. Voters from the district in which the commission candidate lives choose commissioners in non-partisan elections. The Commissioners elect a Chairperson, and the Chairperson appoints the members, chairperson and vice chairperson of all standing committees.The BCC reviews and adopts comprehensive development plans for the county, licenses and regulates taxi, jitneys, limousines and rental cars; sets tolls and provide public transportation systems, regulate utilities, adopt and enforce building codes, establish zoning controls, provide public health facilities, cultural facilities, housing programs etc. Each Commissioner’s salary is $6,000 per year.
The Commission can take no actions unless a majority of Commissioners currently serving in office is present. All meetings are public. The Commission may override a Mayor’s veto at their next regularly scheduled meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present. District elections are held every four years, with the elections of Commissioners from even-numbered districts having taken place in 2006 and those from odd-numbered districts in 2008. The 13 current commissioners are:
| District | Commissioner |
|---|---|
| 1st | Barbara J. Jordan |
| 2nd | Jean Monestime |
| 3rd | Audrey Edmonson, Vice Chairwoman |
| 4th | Sally A. Heyman Sally A. Heyman Sally A. Heyman is an American politician who resides in Miami, Florida. She is currently a commissioner of Miami-Dade County, Florida's Board of County Commissioners, representing District 4. Commissioner Sally A... |
| 5th | Bruno A. Barreiro |
| 6th | Rebeca Sosa |
| 7th | Carlos A. Gimenez Carlos A. Gimenez Carlos A. Giménez is a Cuban American retired firefighter and Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida, elected to office June 28, 2011 in a special election... |
| 8th | Lynda Bell |
| 9th | Dennis C. Moss |
| 10th | Javier D. Souto |
| 11th | Joe A. Martinez Joe A. Martinez Joseph Anthony Martinez is the ring announcer for Golden Boy Promotions, "Solo Boxeo-Tecate" on Telefutura. Joe A. Martinez is a Communications graduate of California State University, Fullerton.... , Chairman |
| 12th | José "Pepe" Diaz |
| 13th | Natacha Seijas |