Miami-Dade commissioners will take up a pair of proposals regulating the expansion of existing cities on Tuesday during their last meeting of the year.
The board is scheduled to take final votes on two annexation measures, both sponsored by Commissioner Javier Souto. One would prohibit cities from annexing portions of communities exploring cityhood bids of their own. Another would prohibit cities from annexing areas that would divide existing U.S. Census tracts.
Souto, who represents unincorporated West Miami-Dade, has been at odds with the city of Sweetwater. Sweetwater, which is not in Souto’s district, is trying to annex Florida International University’s engineering campus and portions of West Flagler Street and Southwest Eighth Street. The campus and the roads are in Souto’s district; he has accused Sweetwater of eyeing the nearby Fontainebleau community in his district, which has long considered becoming its own city. Sweetwater has denied that annexing Fontainebleau is in its plans.
Separately, commissioners are also slated to reconsider the structure of the governing board of the public Jackson Health System. A divided commission gave preliminary approval in October to permanently reshape the Public Health Trust to seven members, from 17.
The proposal had the strong support of former Commission Chairman Joe Martinez. who left the board in November after losing the county mayoral race. Commissioners had been scheduled to vote on the matter earlier this month, but the item was deferred without explanation.
In other business, commissioners will decide which policies their lobbying team should support, oppose and advocate for at the federal and state levels in 2013. Several of the state-level policies will involve tweaking elections laws, in the aftermath of the long lines and slow ballot-counting during last month’s presidential election.
The meeting will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 NW First St.
Miami-Dade commission to take up annexation, Jackson proposals
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Miami-Dade commission to take up annexation, Jackson proposals
