Questions, answered plainly
About the site
Is this an official Miami-Dade County website?
No. Miami-Dade Commission Watch is an independent project run by students, not by the county government. For official information, always defer to miamidade.gov.
Who runs this?
Conrad Gelber and Daniel Llobet founded the site. See the About page for more.
How do you decide what to cover?
We prioritize agenda items likely to affect a large number of residents (budget, housing, transit, zoning, permits, public services) over routine or procedural items.
Do you take political positions?
No. We report what's on the agenda and what happened. We don't endorse candidates or take positions on how commissioners should vote.
What are the Editorials, and why aren't they nonpartisan too?
Our Editorials section is opinion writing by Miami-Dade County students, credited by first name and last initial only because our writers are minors, and it's the one deliberate exception to our nonpartisan rule. Every published editorial reflects that student's own view, not ours. Any Miami-Dade County public or charter school student can submit one with their @students.dadeschools.net address; private and home-school students can send a draft to our contact address.
I found an error. What do you do?
Let us know and we'll review and correct it as quickly as we can.
Glossary
BCC
The Board of County Commissioners: the county's 13-member legislative body, one commissioner per district.
Agenda item
A single matter placed before the Board for discussion or a vote at a given meeting, ranging from a multi-billion-dollar contract to a routine appointment.
Ordinance vs. resolution
An ordinance is a local law with lasting legal effect (it's codified into county code). A resolution is typically a one-time decision or statement of policy, like approving a contract, that doesn't become permanent law.
Committee meeting vs. full Board meeting
Most items are reviewed first by a smaller committee before going to the full 13-member Board for a final vote. Committee approval signals momentum but isn't final.
Public comment
The portion of a meeting where members of the public can speak directly to the Board about an agenda item.
Quorum
The minimum number of commissioners who must be present for the Board to conduct official business.
Deferred
An item that was postponed to a later meeting instead of being voted on or withdrawn.
Constitutional officer
An elected official whose office is created directly by the Florida Constitution, such as the Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, Clerk of the Courts, State Attorney, or Public Defender. These offices run independently of the Board of County Commissioners. See our Constitutional Offices directory.