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Commission appoints Darvin Williams as North Miami Beach city manager after written ballot
Summary
After public comment and a monthslong vetting process, the North Miami Beach City Commission appointed Darvin Williams city manager Jan. 20, 2026, by a 4–3 rollout of written signed ballots. Williams received four votes after commissioners agreed to a signed-ballot process.
The North Miami Beach City Commission appointed Darvin Williams as the citymanager on Jan. 20, 2026, after commissioners voted to use signed ballots and the clerk read the results into the public record. The tally reported by the clerk showed Williams receiving votes from Commissioners Chernoff, Jean, Sue and Vice Mayor Fortuna Smuckler, giving him the four votes required for appointment; other finalists received the remaining votes.
The commission debated voting methods for more than an hour before adopting a written, signed-ballot process to record each commissioner's choice. The city attorney advised the body that written ballots are legal if signed and open to the public and urged the commission to define how runoffs or repeated ballots would be handled before proceeding.
The selection followed an extended public comment period in which residents and community leaders testified about candidates. In public comment, Ezra Levy, who said he has been a North Miami Beach resident for 38 years and runs a special-education program, offered a personal endorsement of Williams: "He has my full support," Levy said. Daniel White Book, who said he worked with Williams while Williams was city manager of Opelika, described Williams as "of the utmost professional" and urged commissioners to consider his record of reducing crime and fostering local development.
Commission discussion before the vote focused on candidate experience, the need for an orderly transition and the potential publicity from background checks. The commission agreed the winner should begin a transition immediately; the commission also motioned to hold a special meeting in early February to finalize and ratify a contract.
No formal amendment to Williams' appointment was recorded in public minutes beyond motions to accept the signed ballots and a subsequent acclamation. The clerk read commissioners' votes into the record immediately after collection; the mayor announced the outcome once the clerk confirmed that Williams had the requisite four votes.
What happens next: The commission directed staff to prepare a contract for Williams and scheduled a special meeting to consider and ratify the hire and contract terms in the days following the selection. The commission also asked commissioners to submit desired contract terms to the city attorney and manager's office so a draft could be circulated before that meeting.
