Miami-Dade Charter Review Task Force convenes, appoints chair and vice chair; ethics briefing sets review agenda

The Miami-Dade County Charter Review Task Force met for the first time to begin a county-wide review of the Home Rule Charter, selected Dennis Kurbell as chair and designated Mike Redondo as vice chair, and received a briefing on the Florida Sunshine Law, public records requirements and the county ethics code.

The task force was created by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners to complete a comprehensive review of Miami-Dade County’s Home Rule Charter and deliver a preliminary written report by Nov. 4, 2025 and a final report 14 days before the board’s first regular meeting in April 2026, deadline dates set in the creating resolution. The group set its next meeting for 10 a.m. Aug. 1 at the main library and approved several procedural items, including authorization for staff to prepare technical “cleanup” edits and a hybrid participation option when a physical quorum is present.

Why it matters: The Home Rule Charter functions as Miami-Dade County’s governing document. The task force’s recommendations may lead to charter amendments that, if adopted by the county commission, could appear on a future ballot. Members were repeatedly told to keep public engagement and Sunshine Law compliance central to the process.

Task force formation and leadership Commissioner Eileen Higgins opened the meeting and framed the review as a timely response to recent structural changes in county government, including the restoration of elected constitutional officers in 2025. After introductions, members nominated and approved Dennis Kurbell to serve as chair and moved to designate Mike Redondo as vice chair. The nominations were approved by voice vote; the meeting record does not show a roll-call tally.

Sunshine, public records and ethics briefing Etta Kony, associate general counsel for the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public…