Commissioner Eileen Higgins to run for mayor of Miami – NBC 6 South Florida

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins announced that she intends to run for mayor of Miami, a race that promises to be a close one.

Higgins, who has built her political career in the county, says it’s time to bring her vision of leadership to the city she calls home.

“When they elect a mayor, the people deserve a mayor who shows up at City Hall and is in meetings and is giving advice about how permitting can get better, for example,” she said.

Higgins, who was born in Ohio and has served District 5 for seven years, was re-elected unopposed last year. More than half of the district she represents is in the city of Miami, where she also resides.

Among her main priorities, Higgins has emphasized the need to improve public transportation, accessibility to affordable housing and strengthening public safety.

“So my priorities as mayor are gonna be very simple. We need a city that’s prosperous and affordable for all,” she said.

Higgins also stressed the importance of optimizing key municipal services, such as the permitting system for home repairs and the expansion of the trolley to improve mobility for residents.

Unlike her current position, the Miami mayor’s office does not have a vote on the commission, but does have the power to appoint the city manager and exercise veto power. Higgins says her experience in decision-making and implementing public policy makes her the right person to lead.

“I’m a city of Miami resident. Like everybody else in the city, we watch sometimes in horror at the dysfunction in the city of Miami,” she said.

She refers to conflicts in the city commission that she says have prevented significant progress, including controversies involving embattled District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo.

He, too, may throw his hat in the mayoral race.

“There are gonna be a lot of people that run for the city of Miami mayor,” Higgins said. “I welcome the competition, that’s what’s great about democracy. What I know the residents of Miami are gonna recognize is that I’m the one that has a track record of delivering results, not chaos.”