City Of Miami Ballot Measures Include Soccer Stadium, Mayoral Power
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – With November 6th quickly approaching, voters in the City of Miami will have a few decisions to make.
There will be three ballot measures for Miami residents to vote on.
The first, and perhaps most publicized, is on Miami Freedom Park which carries with it a new soccer stadium.
The proposal would allow the leasing of city owned land to David Beckham's MLS soccer ownership group.
They would then build a 28,000-seat soccer stadium and surrounding sports complex on land next to Miami International Airport.
The proposal had already faced a lawsuit that was dismissed by a Florida judge as some residents are not happy about potentially losing the land, which is currently occupied by Melreese Country Club.
The second measure is for the City of Miami to rebuild its main downtown office.
The current City of Miami administration building, a 10-story tower on the north bank of the Miami River, is considered out-of-date and too small for the city's growing workforce.
At least, that's what city administrators are saying. It will be up to the voters to ultimately decide.
The city held a competitive bit for offers on the project two years ago and has spent the past 18 months negotiating a deal to lease the land to a developer.
If approved, construction of a residential complex and a new administration building would commence on the land, located at 444 SW Second Avenue.
The third measure has to do with the power bestowed upon the City of Miami's mayor.
Voters will decide whether they want to make Miami's mayor the top decision maker in the city from now on.
A yes vote would result in a change to the city charter, replacing the city management system with one that would have the mayor as the key decision maker.
The City of Miami has a budget of $1 billion dollars, which would be controlled by the mayor should the measure pass.
Also falling on the mayor's plate would be hiring and firing the city attorney, overseeing public workers and making important recommendations on city contracts.
Basically, the majority of vital city decisions would fall on the mayor.
All three measures will be on the November ballot for residents of the City of Miami.
It's best to know who you are going to vote for before you fill out your ballot, so why not give the ballot a once over before you head to the polls.
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For more voter information, FAQ's and helpful links, click here.
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