MIAMI — Within hours of the Miami City Commission approving a controversial measure to postpone the upcoming November election to 2026 in order to move the city to even-year elections, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez had already signed the legislation into law.

Suarez does not have a vote on the City Commission, nor is he required to sign commission legislation, which automatically goes into effect within 10 days if it’s not signed or vetoed by the mayor.

But a copy of the legislation obtained by the Miami Herald shows that Suarez signed the document on June 26 — the same day as the City Commission meeting.

Suarez did not respond to questions asking why he opted to sign the legislation. But his decision to do so tracks with Miami Herald reporting that the mayor had been quietly lobbying behind the scenes in favor of the legislation, which was sponsored by Commissioner Damian Pardo.

Pardo has argued that the change is a reform measure and that by moving the city to even-year elections, voter turnout will increase drastically while also decreasing election costs. But a side effect of the change is that it gives city commissioners and the mayor — who is termed out at the end of the year — an extra year in office.

Commissioner Joe Carollo, a Pardo adversary who voted against the election date change, alleged that Suarez’s involvement went beyond simply lobbying for Pardo’s legislation.

“There’s been a tremendous amount of backroom dealing on this whole thing, led by the mayor of the city,” Carollo said. “It’s not just that he was backing it, it was his idea originally — he got Pardo to play lapdog … to present the ordinance for him.”

Pardo has denied that, saying the idea originated with him.

Moving the election without voter approval has been a source of controversy in recent weeks, drawing condemnation from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier.

“The citizens of Miami deserve and are entitled to the right to make this decision, directly,” Uthmeier said in a June 25 letter to the city. “Home to thousands of patriotic Cuban Americans who know better than most about regimes that cavalierly delay elections and prolong their terms in power, the City of Miami owes to its citizens what the law requires.”

Uthmeier concluded his letter with a warning.

“If you nevertheless move forward with the proposed ordinance,” he wrote, “my office reserves the right to consider taking all available actions to prevent this violation of law from occurring.”

The state has not yet announced any formal action against the city.

_____

©2025 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.