The Miami Beach City Commission is a seven-member body — a mayor and six commissioners — elected at-large to set city policy, adopt the budget, and appoint the City Manager who runs daily operations. Miami Beach uses a commission-manager form of government, so no single commissioner, not even the mayor, runs the city alone.1Municode Library. Miami Beach Code of Ordinances – Charter
Who Sits on the Commission
As of 2026, the seven seats are held by:2City of Miami Beach. Mayor and Commissioners
- Mayor Steven Meiner
- Group I: Monica Matteo-Salinas
- Group II: Laura Dominguez
- Group III: Alex J. Fernandez
- Group IV: Tanya K. Bhatt
- Group V: David Suarez
- Group VI: Joseph Magazine
The Group I through Group VI labels are administrative, not geographic. Every registered voter in Miami Beach votes on every open seat, so each commissioner answers to the whole city rather than a single neighborhood.2City of Miami Beach. Mayor and Commissioners The Mayor presides over meetings and serves as the city’s ceremonial representative but holds the same single vote as any other commissioner. Most legislative action requires four affirmative votes out of seven.
What the Commission Decides
The commission’s broadest power is fiscal. Commissioners adopt the annual city budget, which exceeded $950 million in fiscal year 2025, and they set the property tax rate that funds much of it. They also approve city contracts, procurement agreements, and bond issues.3City of Miami Beach. Budget
The commission appoints and can remove the three most powerful unelected positions in city government: the City Manager, the City Attorney, and the City Clerk. The City Manager functions as the chief executive, implementing whatever the commission directs. The Mayor also appoints members to certain advisory committees, including the Land Use and Sustainability Committee.4City of Miami Beach. Land Use and Sustainability Committee
Zoning is where the commission most visibly shapes the city. Amending the land development regulations carries a higher bar than other votes: a supermajority of five out of seven commissioners is required to change zoning rules.5Municode Library. Miami Beach Code of Ordinances Chapter 118 – Amendment Procedure In a city where building height, density, and waterfront development are perennial flashpoints, that threshold means a bloc of three commissioners can block major zoning changes.
Qualifications, Terms, and Elections
Candidates for any commission seat must be registered voters in Miami Beach and must have physically resided in the city for at least one year before the qualifying period for the election.
Commissioners serve four-year terms, staggered so that roughly half the commission faces voters every two years.2City of Miami Beach. Mayor and Commissioners Term limits cap each commissioner at two full terms, a maximum of eight consecutive years in the same seat.6City of Miami Beach. Mayor and Commissioners Municipal elections are held in November of odd-numbered years, keeping them separate from state and federal cycles.
Pay
Base salaries are $6,000 per year for commissioners and $10,000 per year for the mayor. On top of base pay, commissioners receive monthly stipends, a vehicle allowance, and a cell phone allowance. Including all stipends and allowances, total annual compensation has historically been roughly $39,000 for commissioners and $40,000 for the mayor. The commission voted in 2024 to raise stipends and allowances to account for inflation since 2018, and those allowances are now adjusted for inflation each year going forward.
Meetings and How Residents Participate
The commission typically meets once or twice per month, mostly on Wednesdays, with an August recess. Budget hearings take place in September, and the full schedule is posted each year on the city’s website.7City of Miami Beach. City Commission Meeting Dates All meetings fall under Florida’s Sunshine Law, which requires that any gathering of two or more commissioners to discuss city business be open to the public with reasonable advance notice.8Florida Statutes. Florida Code 286.011 – Public Meetings and Records Even casual private conversations between commissioners about matters likely to come before them violate the law.9Florida Office of Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions
Residents can address the commission during the Dr. Stanley Sutnick Citizens’ Forum, held twice during each regular meeting at approximately 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Around thirty minutes is set aside for each session, and individual speakers are limited to two minutes unless the Mayor grants more time. No advance sign-up is required.10Miami-Dade County. City of Miami Beach – How a Person May Participate During a Hybrid City Commission Meeting For scheduled public hearings on specific items like zoning changes or budget adoption, anyone who wants to speak may do so without registering in advance.
Vacancies and Recall
When a commission seat opens mid-term due to resignation, removal, or death, the remaining commissioners can appoint a replacement by supermajority vote. A 2024 charter referendum added a safeguard: if the commission fails to make an appointment within 30 days, the city must hold a special election to fill the vacancy.
Florida law also allows voters to recall any municipal elected official. Grounds are limited to specific categories, including malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, permanent inability to serve, or conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude. A recall petition cannot be filed until the official has served at least one-quarter of their term. For a city the size of Miami Beach, the petition must be signed by at least 1,000 electors or 5 percent of the total registered voters from the preceding municipal election, whichever is greater.11Florida Statutes. Florida Code 100.361 – Municipal Recall