WakeUp NMB Statement Regarding Miami-Dade Democrats Resolution
Last night, the Miami-Dade Democrats passed a resolution supporting the “Stronger NMB” charter amendment petition. This proposal would fundamentally change how North Miami Beach elects its commissioners, divide our city into voting districts, and reset term limits beginning in 2028.
Residents should ask an important question right from the start: Why is a countywide political organization inserting itself into the local governance structure of our five-square-mile city?
Allegedly the resolution was introduced under “new business” by Linda Joseph, who serves as a State Committeewoman for the Miami-Dade Democrats and is also a candidate for office in the North Miami Beach election this November. Because it was brought forward as new business, committee members and the public had no advance notice or time to read and review the proposal ahead of the meeting. Yet, despite the massive magnitude of these proposed changes to our city’s charter, the resolution was pushed through and passed without allowing for proper time or scrutiny.
The Real Agenda: Resetting Term Limits
What is especially troubling is that the resolution openly endorses resetting term limits beginning in 2028. This means current elected officials who are otherwise term-limited could potentially run again.
The Stronger NMB materials themselves state clearly:
“Prior service does not count against the new term limits.”
Residents of North Miami Beach voted overwhelmingly in favor of term limits in 2016 because they believed elected office should not become a permanent political entitlement. Miami-Dade County voters did the same in 2012 to ensure accountability and fresh leadership.
So, residents deserve to ask two simple questions:
1. What does creating voting districts have to do with wiping the slate clean on term limits?
2. Since when is the Miami-Dade Democratic Party against fixed term limits, and why are they using their political machinery to restart them here?
Losing Your Citywide Voice
This is not a minor administrative adjustment; it is a major restructuring of our city government. The petition materials confirm that commissioners would no longer be elected citywide. Instead, they would only be elected by voters within individual districts.
For decades, every North Miami Beach voter has had the right to vote for every commissioner. This is vital because every commissioner makes decisions affecting the entire city, including budgets, development, policing, parks, and taxes. Under this proposal, residents would lose that citywide voting voice.
Rejecting Divisive Narratives and Infrastructure Myths
Supporters continue pushing a false narrative that entire sections of North Miami Beach are “unrepresented” or “ignored.” We reject this divisive characterization. North Miami Beach is one community. We are not east versus west, or neighborhood versus neighborhood competing for resources.
Claims of political favoritism ignore decades of historical development and engineering realities. For example, some supporters use sewer infrastructure as a political talking point against certain neighborhoods:
• The Reality: In the late 1950s, developers dredged swamp land and created the man-made canals in Eastern Shores. Sewer infrastructure was legally and environmentally required from the very beginning due to those unique water and land conditions.
• The Counterpoint: To this day, Eastern Shores still does not have underground utilities.
These are infrastructure realities, not evidence of favoritism. Using these differences as political ammunition to divide residents is deeply irresponsible.
Look at Who is Promoting This
Residents should also pay close attention to who is actively promoting this petition effort. Ariel Vasquez and Linda Joseph, both candidates for office in our November 2026 election, are publicly supporting this initiative. At the same time, they are attacking anyone who asks legitimate questions about the petition, the funding behind it, the late campaign finance filings connected to the PAC involved, and the long-term consequences of these changes.
Failing to provide answers to the community is civic irresponsibility.
An Informed Community is a Stronger Community. WakeUp NMB fully supports every resident’s constitutional right to organize, advocate, and participate in democracy. However, residents also have the right to receive complete and accurate information before signing a petition that permanently alters our city.
Before you sign anything, we encourage every resident to:
• Read the petition carefully and review the actual language.
• Ask why term limits are being reset and who benefits politically.
• Ask why outside political organizations and activists are trying to frame this as a partisan issue.
The core of this issue is not about political agendas; it is about whether North Miami Beach remains a united city where every resident votes for every leader.
WakeUp NMB!