Commission for Women reviews brunch finances, votes each commissioner to raise $500 by year-end

The North Miami Commission for Women on Sept. 16 reviewed finances from its third annual NoMi Women wellness brunch and voted to require each commissioner to raise $500 by Dec. 31 to help cover vendor payments and future events. The vote passed, 5–1.

Commissioners discussed receipts, sponsorships and outstanding invoices after Vice Chair Dr. Nori Glickman presented the event budget and accounting. Glickman said the commission began with a $5,500 allocation from Councilwoman Mary Estime Irvin and received $5,600 in additional sponsor donations. The event also produced $200 from a raffle and $1,450 from vendors, she said, and those additions were applied to the final accounting.

Glickman gave the meeting the budget totals the commission discussed: an approved expense authorization of $7,635, actual gross expenses of $13,193, an in‑kind donation valued at $440, and an adjusted expense total cited at $12,393. After applying all revenues and in‑kind value, Glickman said the commission had a balance brought forward of $357.

Why it matters: commissioners said unpaid vendor bills and the scale of attendance at free, city‑supported events require clearer fundraising and payment processes. Chair Dr. Naomi Blamere proposed the motion that each commissioner seek to raise $500 before Dec. 31 to ensure vendors and future programming are fully funded without relying on a small number of individual donors.

Commissioners and staff identified several outstanding invoices and near‑term payouts that the commission asked staff to prioritize: a $5,000 balance due to Katz, a $2,200 invoice to JC Entertaining (draping), approximately $318 for printing, a $100 fee for city social‑media support, and a photographer balance that was described in the meeting as about $400. Commissioners asked staff to notify the commission when checks would be cut and to provide copies of payments at the next meeting.

Commissioners also debated how to budget future free events. Several speakers said that when an event is free, registration may exceed expected turnout and that catering costs drove the largest single expense for the brunch. Blamere and others urged commissioners to pair event planning with fundraising and to use written sponsor and vendor agreements to avoid unpaid balances. Commissioner Rose Gampierre and others recommended building a recurring contact list for community organizations so invitations are not missed when officers change.

The motion requiring commissioners to raise $500 each passed 5–1. The roll call was read and the chair announced the motion passed; the meeting transcript records the tally but does not record full individual vote attributions in order. Commissioners agreed to work with staff to circulate a short fundraising letter and to track contributions; checks will be made payable to the City of North Miami with “Commission for Women” in the memo, per the discussion.

The commission also discussed a proposed ticket fundraiser (a donated generator raffle) and other steps to diversify revenue beyond the city allocation that Councilwoman Irvin provides. Commissioners asked staff to return with timelines on payments to vendors and with a clearer ledger of prior outstanding balances at the next meeting.

Ending: Commissioners directed staff to provide documentation of payments and outstanding bills at the next meeting and to produce a standard contact list for community organizations. The commission set a goal that each commissioner will attempt to raise $500 by Dec. 31 to help ensure events and vendors are paid promptly.