Miami voters approve Marine Stadium operator, even-year elections

Downtown Miami Miami-Dade County admin August 19, 2026 0 Comments

Miami voters approve Marine Stadium operator, even-year elections

As many Floridians cast ballots for governor and U.S. Senate on Tuesday, residents in the city of Miami also weighed in on two local issues seeking to change the city’s election schedule and advance plans to restore an iconic but abandoned stadium on the water.

Here’s what Miami voters decided on the city’s two ballot referendums during the August primary election.

Even-year elections

Miami voters approved a charter amendment moving the city from odd- to even-year elections, paving the way for the switch to take effect in 2034.

“Tonight, Miami voters sent a clear message that it’s time to end the endless cycles of corruption in the City of Miami,” Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo, who championed the election-date change proposal, said in a statement as results rolled in Tuesday night.

The charter change’s passage marks a second reform victory for Pardo in recent months. He also sponsored a charter amendment that created lifetime term limits for the city’s elected officials that was approved by 79% of voters in November.

Pardo said the proposal “was always about more than changing a date on the calendar.”

“It’s about ensuring more Miamians have the opportunity to participate in the elections that shape our city’s future,” he said.

With the charter amendment’s passage, here’s what will happen with the city’s future election cycles:

The next elections for mayor and city commissioner will take place as currently scheduled: in 2027 for Districts 1, 2 and 4; and 2029 for mayor and Districts 3 and 5. The winners of those races will be elected to a typical four-year term.
The following election cycle will occur four years later, as usual: in 2031 for Districts 1, 2 and 4; and 2033 for mayor and Districts 3 and 5.
The winners of the 2031 and 2033 races will be elected to one-time three-year terms. Those shortened terms will count as full terms as it relates to term limits.
As a result of the one-time three-year terms, the city will sync up with the even-year election cycle for those seats in 2034 and 2036, respectively.
From that point forward, elections will take place in even years, and terms will resume being four years each.

Advocates who pushed for the change argued that syncing up with the national election cycle will decrease election costs while boosting voter participation, since many people are disengaged during odd years or unaware that elections are taking place at all.

Opponents, however, said that even-year elections give incumbents an advantage by making it more difficult for grassroots candidates to break through the noise of presidential and gubernatorial elections.

While the election-date change puts Miami in lockstep with many other Miami-Dade municipalities — most of which also hold their elections in even years — it wasn’t a smooth road to get here.

Last summer, the City Commission passed an ordinance that immediately switched the city from odd- to even-year elections, postponing the November 2025 election to 2026 and giving the elected officials at the time an extra year in office. The ordinance was promptly challenged, and the courts found that changing the election date requires voter approval.

Miami Marine Stadium operator

Miami voters passed a ballot referendum that allows the city to enter into a management agreement with a company that will operate events at the architecturally renowned Miami Marine Stadium, which has sat abandoned for decades.

With the passage of Miami Referendum 2, the city can move forward with management partner Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of Oak View Group, one of the country’s largest operators of sports and entertainment venues.

Under the proposal, Oak View Group will receive a 10-year management contract, with three options for renewal. The city will receive a large cut of revenue from events and sponsorships while paying Oak View Group a monthly management fee.

“We are elated that the Miami community advanced this important step forward in the restoration of one of Miami’s most treasured landmarks,” Greg O’Dell, president of venue management for Oak View Group, said in a statement Tuesday night. “Miami Marine Stadium is more than a venue, it’s a symbol of Miami’s vibrant history and future.”

Pardo, who sponsored the legislation to put the Marine Stadium referendum on the ballot, said Tuesday that it was “a truly magical moment for the Magic City.”

“The people of Miami have spoken clearly, and they want this iconic landmark back,” Pardo said. “The hard work begins now, and I’m proud to stand behind this project every step of the way as we bring the Marine Stadium back to life and return this extraordinary piece of Miami’s history to the public, where it belongs.”

The referendum includes the following terms:

City receives 93% of gross sales of all events after deducting a $33,333 monthly management fee
City receives 85% of sponsorship revenues
Up to a 40-year term
Global Spectrum to pay the city up to $10,000,000 toward the restoration of Historic Marine Stadium

Oak View Group will pay the city a total capital investment of up to $10 million for restoration of the stadium. The operator will get a $400,000 annual base fee, as well as incentive fees equal to 7% of gross revenues, food and beverage sales, and 15% of revenue from sponsorships and premium seating, according to the underlying city legislation.

The proposal entails building a long-promised flex park, operated by Oak View Group, that will convert the stadium’s vast parking lot into a water-oriented public recreational facility that could also be used for special events.

Don Worth, co-founder of Restore Miami Marine Stadium, previously told the Herald that while the total restoration cost has not yet been determined, there are several non-city funding sources available to pay for the restoration, like the sale of historic tax credits, as well as naming rights.

This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 7:47 PM.