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 Trust, gave an extended presentation on the Florida Government in the Sunshine law, Florida public records statutes and the county ethics code. She reviewed requirements including: - Meetings of public boards must be open and reasonably accessible to the public and minutes must be promptly recorded and made available. - Private discussions among two or more members about foreseeable board business create Sunshine-law risk. Sunshine violations cannot be cured by a perfunctory later vote; a substantive public re-do is required. - Florida Statutes chapter 119 applies to records and private-device communications related to official business; some exceptions (medical, active criminal investigations, social security numbers) apply. - Miami‑Dade’s ethics code addresses gifts, exploitation of official position, voting conflicts and lobbying registration; certain vendor-paid travel is prohibited and substantial disclosure and filing rules apply. Kony told the task force that a Sunshine-law violation is a second-degree misdemeanor and that willful public-records violations can carry criminal penalties and civil liabilities.

Public comment on constitutional offices Orin Rosenthal, general counsel to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections, told the panel the charter contains language inconsistent with current Florida law after recent constitutional changes. He said the supervisor’s statutory duty “is to accept all the qualifications of County officers,” but that the charter currently assigns that duty to the clerk of the courts, creating potential confusion for candidates. Rosenthal urged the task force to “work collaboratively with representatives from each of the constitutional offices” and ensure charter text aligns with the Florida Constitution and state statutes.

Mayor’s remarks and staff support Mayor Daniella Levine Cava attended, welcomed members and urged broad public participation. George Damien Delapas, director of policy in the mayor’s office, and Demetria Henderson, director of legislative affairs, were named mayoral liaisons to the task force. Son (In) Kim, director of Communications and Customer Experience, said the county will support outreach via miamidade.gov/charter and the county’s broadcast and social channels; staff also confirmed the task force may hold regional meetings across the county.

Schedule, scope and early motions Staff reviewed the resolution creating the task force and explained the statutory and calendar deadlines that shape workstreams. The resolution requires a holistic review of the charter; it directs the body to study the 2017 final report and all subsequent proposed charter amendments. The group approved multiple procedural motions by voice vote, including: - Directing staff to prepare technical “cleanup” amendments for future consideration (motion approved). - Establishing an initial topic list and meeting plan (the task force approved topics including constitutional officers, county structure and elected office rules, annexation/incorporation, land use and sea-level rise/resilience, and budgeting/finance) and directing staff to return with a more detailed long-term schedule. - Setting the next meeting for 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1 at the Miami-Dade main library to begin hearings on constitutional officers and related budgetary issues. - Allowing hybrid participation so long as a physical quorum is present for votes.

The task force agreed to hold frequent meetings (staff proposed roughly twice monthly) to ensure it could meet the Nov. 4 preliminary-report deadline; members discussed holding some evening or regional sessions to facilitate public engagement. Several individuals urged the group to focus on proposals likely to advance to the county commission rather than pursuing measures that would likely be blocked or generate unproductive controversy.

Votes at a glance - Nomination and approval of Dennis Kurbell as chair. Mover: Steve Lisonbee; second: Michael Valdez. Outcome: approved by voice vote (roll-call tally not recorded). - Nomination and approval of Mike Redondo as vice chair. Mover and second recorded on the transcript; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion directing staff to draft technical "cleanup" charter edits for the task force to review. Mover: speaker on record who proposed the motion; second recorded. Outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion adopting an initial set of topics and asking staff to prepare a longer-term schedule. Outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion to set the next meeting at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 at the main library. Outcome: approved by voice vote. - Motion to permit hybrid participation provided a physical quorum is present. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

What the task force will do next Staff was asked to compile comparative materials from other Florida counties, assemble background documents (including the 2017 final report and charter text), and reach out to constitutional officers for input. The task force instructed staff to prepare materials and background memos on constitutional officers and budgeting practices for the Aug. 1 meeting.

The meeting concluded after roughly two hours and the task force adjourned to reconvene on its scheduled date.

Ending The task force's work is time-limited (expires May 30, 2026) and carries statutory and calendar-driven deadlines that the panel acknowledged at the outset. Members emphasized public engagement, Sunshine-law compliance and the need to align charter language with state constitutional changes as top priorities for the upcoming meetings.