A special will be held in June to fill the vacancy on the Miami City Commission following the death of Commissioner Manolo Reyes last week.
In a unanimous decision during a special city commission meeting on Thursday, the Miami City Commission opted to hold a special election rather than appoint someone to fill the District 4 commission seat, according to CBS News Miami’s partners at the Miami Herald.
“At the end of the day, I think let the best man or woman win,” said Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela.
Gabela added that he didn’t want any “finger pointing” if the city commission were to appoint someone, nor did he want to give someone an unfair advantage if they were to run for the seat in November, the Herald reported.
Reyes, a dedicated public servant who overcame personal and political hurdles to become a respected voice in city government, died earlier this month at 80 years old. He was serving the second year of his current term when his health took a downturn and forced him to miss several city commission meetings. Despite the setbacks, he had announced plans to run for mayor in 2025, sharing his intention with supporters during a birthday celebration at Miami City Hall back in May.
The special election will take place June 3, with early voting tentatively scheduled to run from May 30 to June 1. The candidates qualifying for the election with run from April 21 to April 25. The winner will serve out the remainder of Reyes’ term, which ends in 2027, the Herald reported.
According to the Herald, if the Miami City Commission had appointed someone rather than call for the special election, that person would have held the seat until November — the District 4 seat would have been on the ballot, alongside the seats for Districts 3 and 5, as well as the mayor.
The special election does come with an added cost. According to the Herald, Miami City Clerk Todd Hannon said it would cost about $380,000 for the city, but it could come in lower.
