City of Miami voters face three questions Nov. 3: a $450 million police and fire bond, a bond oversight committee and a 45-year Virginia Key marina lease.
Voters in the city of Miami will answer three city questions on the Nov. 3 ballot. The biggest asks whether the city should borrow $450 million to rebuild police and fire-rescue buildings. The others would create a permanent bond oversight committee and lease the Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium marinas on Virginia Key for at least 45 years.
The wording below is from the official sample ballot for the Miami special election, published by the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections. The three questions appear on the same ballot as the countywide general election. Only voters registered inside the city limits see them.
Referendum 1: the Safe and Ready Miami bond
The first question asks whether the city should issue $450 million in general obligation bonds for police and fire facilities. The bonds would be repaid from property taxes. The ballot says the current capital projects debt millage rate of 0.5935 would not go up, and the program would have an independent annual audit.
The ballot lists what the money is for:
- renovating, modernizing and building new facilities for firefighters and paramedics
- building a new public safety headquarters for police and first responders
The Miami City Commission voted July 9 to put the bond on the ballot, according to the city’s announcement. Mayor Eileen Higgins proposed it. Commissioner Rolando Escalona co-sponsored it.
The city made its case for the bond in that release:
- The Miami Police Department headquarters opened in 1976 and was designed for about 560 officers.
- It now houses about 1,390 sworn personnel and 400 other staff.
- The city cited plumbing failures, flooding, broken restrooms, roof leaks and outdated electrical systems in the building.
- Of the city’s 17 fire-rescue stations, eight are more than 50 years old and two are more than 60 years old.
“This bond is about public safety, operational readiness, and dignity, but it is also about saving lives,” Higgins said in the release. “Now it is up to Miami voters.”
“No increase to the current debt millage rate” means the rate the city charges to repay voter-approved debt would stay at 0.5935 mills, or about 59 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value. It is a promise about the rate, not about the size of a tax bill, which also depends on a property’s assessed value. Our property taxes page explains how Miami’s rates add up.
The city has a page for the bond at SafeAndReadyMiami.com, where it says it will post project details.
Referendum 2: a permanent bond oversight committee
The second question is a charter amendment. It would create a permanent advisory General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee.
The committee would have the authority to monitor and publicly report on every active capital project paid for with city general obligation bonds, including:
- its status
- its cost
- its timeline
- the money left or still available
The committee would be advisory. The ballot does not give it power to approve or stop spending.
Referendum 3: leasing the Virginia Key marinas
The third question asks whether the city should lease about 27.62 acres on Virginia Key to a company named Virginia Key, LLC. The land covers the existing Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium marinas, about three miles southeast of downtown across the Rickenbacker Causeway.
The ballot sets out the terms:
| Term | What the ballot says |
|---|---|
| Length | 45 years, with two 15-year renewals |
| Minimum rent to the city | $2.2 million a year, with escalations |
| Total minimum rent over 45 years | About $203.98 million |
| Revenue share | 6% of gross revenues, on top of the rent |
| Private investment | About $80 million to redevelop both marinas |
| What would be built | Boat storage, restaurants, retail and public parking |
The ballot says the redevelopment would be done “in an environmentally sensitive manner.” It does not describe the design, the number of boat slips or a construction schedule.
Key dates
- Monday, Oct. 19, to Sunday, Nov. 1: early voting, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, at any of the county’s 28 early voting sites, according to the county’s general election sample ballot.
- 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22: deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot. The county’s vote-by-mail page says the request must arrive by then; a postmark does not count.
- 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3: polls close, and mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections. Mail ballots can also be left at a secure drop box at any early voting site during its hours.
The registration deadline for this election was Oct. 5.
What it means for you
If you live inside the city of Miami, you will see these three questions at the end of your ballot. If you live in unincorporated Miami-Dade or another city, such as Miami Beach or Coral Gables, you will not.
The bond question decides whether the city can borrow for new police and fire buildings without raising the debt rate on your tax bill. The marina question decides who runs two city-owned marinas on Virginia Key for at least the next 45 years.
Read the full ballot wording before you vote. It is in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole on the county’s sample ballot. Our voting guide has early voting sites, ID rules and how to find your polling place. We will report the results from the Supervisor of Elections on election night. We do not endorse a side in any referendum.
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