Doral voters approved a lifetime cap of four terms as mayor and four as council member, with 73% yes in unofficial results. Past terms count toward the cap.
Updated Nov. 4: voters approved the amendment, 14,287 yes (73.23%) to 5,223 no (26.77%), in unofficial results from the Miami-Dade Elections Department as of 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, with all eight Doral precincts reporting. Results are unofficial until certified. In the council races, Peter Espinosa won Seat 4 and the Seat 2 race is within 16 votes; see Doral’s election results.
Doral voters decided Nov. 3 whether to put a lifetime cap on how long anyone can serve as mayor or on the City Council. The charter question would allow no more than four terms as mayor and four terms as a council member over a person’s lifetime.
Terms already served would count toward the cap. Early voting in Miami-Dade County starts Monday, Oct. 19.
The question on your ballot
The question appears under “Doral Referendum” on the city’s notice of election and official sample ballot (PDF). It is printed in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. The English wording reads:
Establish Lifetime Term Limits for Mayor and Councilmembers
Shall the City Charter be amended to establish a lifetime limit of four terms for the office of Mayor and four terms for the office of Councilmember, counted separately and independently, for terms served before or after adoption of this amendment, and counted toward the applicable limit?
Shall the above-described Charter amendment be adopted?
A yes vote adopts the change. A no vote leaves the charter as it is.
What the charter says now
The mayor and four council members are each elected citywide to four-year terms, under Section 2.03 of the city charter. That section already limits how many terms a person can serve in a row, but not how many in total.
The current rules, from the charter text the city attached to the resolution placing the question on the ballot (Word document):
- No one may serve more than two consecutive elected terms as mayor or as a council member.
- After two terms in a row in one office, a person must stay out for four years before running for that office again.
- A council member who has served two terms in a row may run for mayor right away.
- A mayor who has served two terms in a row must wait four years before running for council.
The city staff memo on the item says the charter “does not provide for a limitation on the number of times that an elected official can run for the office of mayor or councilmember.” You can read the council meeting memorandum (Word document).
What would change
| Now | If voters approve | |
|---|---|---|
| Terms in a row | Two, then four years out | Two, then four years out (unchanged) |
| Lifetime total as mayor | No limit | Four terms |
| Lifetime total as council member | No limit | Four terms |
| Terms served before the vote | No lifetime count kept | Counted toward the cap |
The two caps are counted separately. Under the amended text, a person could serve four terms as a council member and also four terms as mayor.
The charter defines a term as serving any period of time in either office, with two exceptions that stay in place:
- Someone appointed to the council for six months or less has not served a term.
- Someone elected for a period of one year or less has not served a term.
How it got on the ballot
The City Council proposed the change itself. The resolution says the council discussed lifetime limits of four terms at its regular meeting on June 10. It then approved the ballot wording and asked the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections to add the question to the Nov. 3 general election.
The staff memo put the fiscal impact at less than $50,000. The resolution directs the City Clerk’s office to keep the full text of the amendment open for public inspection during business hours.
The rest of Doral’s ballot
Doral voters also choose two City Council members. Council members are elected citywide, so every Doral voter votes in both races. The candidates, as listed on the sample ballot:
| Seat | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Council Member, Seat 2 | Fernanda Gomes; Maureen Porras |
| Council Member, Seat 4 | Peter Espinosa; Gustavo Garagorry |
Porras is a current member of the council. The mayor’s seat is not on this year’s ballot.
What it means for you
- Early voting runs every day from Monday, Oct. 19, to Sunday, Nov. 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Two early voting sites are in Doral: the Supervisor of Elections office at 2700 NW 87th Ave. and the International Mall Branch Library at 10315 NW 12th St.
- Mail ballots must be requested by 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.
- Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, at your assigned polling place.
- Questions about the amendment go to the City Clerk’s office at 305-593-6730 or cityclerk@cityofdoral.com.
Deadlines, ID rules and polling place lookups are on our Miami-Dade voting guide. For other city contacts, see who to call at City Hall.
Doral Now does not endorse candidates or ballot positions.
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