Alternative District Editorial

Alternative district boundaries could preserve Miami's existing neighborhoods and reunite previously split neighborhoods.  During the District 2’s townhall meeting[1], the City's consultant, Miguel DeGrandy, made clear repeatedly that dividing Coconut Grove and not reuniting previously split neighborhoods like Shenandoah or Flagami was purely a political decision.  Many other better alternatives were available to the commissioners.

Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections, Christina White, on Friday 2/25 clearly stated there is not a "hard and fast deadline" for redistricting.  Redistricting "could easily wait until next year and any penalty would be well worth it".[2]  The March 11 deadline pursued by Miami's city commissioners is solely a political decision, one they are accelerating faster than a chain saw through a hardwood tree in Coconut Grove.

The rapid pace of development throughout Miami demands that each commissioner focus on the coordinated preservation of core services for each of their neighborhoods (e.g., access to food, voting, transportation).  The commission's proposals compound previous redistricting errors with the Coconut Grove division being the most egregious--separating both food and voter access between districts.  

Stop the redistricting now.  Use all the information available to carefully plan, coordinate and communicate the best boundaries possible so that Miami can prepare robustly for an uncertain future.


[1] District 2 Townhall meeting, City Hall, Monday 2/28/22

[2] Interview with Rebecca Wakefield, District 7 chief of staff, 2/25/22

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