I’ve spent more than a decade in public service, and I’ve seen firsthand how Miami’s political system rewards longevity over new ideas. That’s not always a bad thing—experience matters—but when our rules allow the same political figures to cycle in and out of power for decades, something has to change.
It’s time to close the term limit loophole.
Right now, Miami’s city charter allows elected officials to serve two consecutive four-year terms. But after sitting out a single term, they’re free to run again. And again. And again. There’s no lifetime cap—just a requirement to take brief breaks between stretches in office.
That’s not term limits. That’s a revolving door.
We have the chance to fix it. A charter amendment on the ballot would finally create lifetime term limits: eight years total for a commissioner, and eight years total for a mayor. Once you’ve served your time, that’s it. No comebacks. No strategic pauses. Just a clear standard: serve, lead, and then make room for someone new.
This is bigger than any one person or political family—including mine. I’m 47 years old. Under the current system, I could sit out a term and come back if I wanted to return to public life. I could take 8, 12, even 20 years off and still run again.
And it’s not hypothetical. The loophole has been used, and unless it’s closed, it will keep being used. Former officeholders wait out a term, then return to the ballot, often with the same name recognition and machinery they had before. It turns public service into a cycle of reentry, not renewal. That’s not what voters envision when they hear the words “term limits.” It’s a system built to recycle power—not to share it.
This reform would end that.
True term limits open the door to new leaders, new energy, and fresh ideas. They give rising voices a chance to lead and encourage healthy turnover in a system that too often defaults to familiarity.
And voters agree. Polling shows overwhelming support for lifetime limits. They want a government that reflects the Miami of today, not the Miami of 20 or 30 years ago.
Just like aligning our elections with high-turnout cycles, this reform is about making Miami’s democracy stronger. It's about ensuring the voices of today’s voters—not yesterday’s insiders—shape the future of our city.
When elections and term limits are designed around narrow participation and insider access, the system becomes less representative, less responsive, and ultimately, less legitimate. It discourages competition, weakens public engagement, and erodes the accountability that comes from real political turnover.
Fixing that starts with elections that actually engage the public—and term limits that actually mean something.
Let’s close the loopholes. Let’s commit to leadership and public service that actually “serves” its time and then steps aside. And let’s make sure the next generation of Miami leaders gets the same chance we had to shape the future.
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