Former lawmaker ends contract to redraw Miami voting districts after questions were raised
Former state Senate President Bill Galvano has terminated his $10,000-amonth contract to redraw Miami’s voting districts after a majority of city commissioners signaled they were ready to fire him.
During a meeting Jan. 14, Commissioner Jeffrey Watson proposed ending Galvano’s contract after questions arose about Galvano’s past experience with redrawing statewide voting districts for the Florida Legislature. That process, led by Galvano, was mired in years of litigation and an admission that Republicans intentionally drew districts that favored incumbents and parties, which violates the law.
The protracted court battles spanned years and cost taxpayers millions. Throughout the process, the Miami Herald detailed the controversy, which resurfaced after the city hired Galvano.
During a meeting, Watson suggested the city should hire a new consultant to “ensure our process and effort are beyond reproach.” Other commissioners quickly agreed. In late September, they voted to budget the roughly $120,000 for the contract after Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla openly shared Galvano as his recommendation for the job.
Díaz de la Portilla, a former state senator and friend of Galvano, opposed Watson’s motion. Díaz de la Portilla defended Galvano’s record and asked commissioners to defer the vote until Galvano, a Bradenton lawyer, had a chance to address commissioners’ comments at the next meeting on Jan. 28.
Even with the votes there to fire Galvano, Watson agreed to hold off. One week later, Galvano decided to end the contract himself.
On Monday morning,
City Manager Art Noriega notified commissioners that Galvano had sent him a letter terminating the deal. In the letter dated Jan. 22, Galvano wrote that in light of the commission’s discussion, he thought it would be best for him and the city to part ways.
“Please consider this letter as official notice that I am terminating our professional agreement effective today,” Galvano wrote. “While I certainly respect the commission’s right to want to further discuss my qualifications and experience, I do not believe this discussion will bring any new information to light. My qualifications are wellnoted.” Noriega told the Miami Herald he has not started the process of hiring a new consultant to lead the city’s once-a-decade study of voting districts. Every U.S. Census allows the city to review the population and demographic makeup of its five commission districts. The redrawing of voting districts is supposed to ensure fair representation while striving to preserve the commission’s ethnic and racial balance.
Watson has recommended another former state lawmaker for the job. Holland and Knight attorney Miguel De Grandy could land the contract. De Grandy, who represented Miami-Dade’s District 114 in the Florida House from 1989 to 1994, led Miami’s previous redistricting process in 2012. That process sparked its own debate when residents in Miami’s Upper East Side neighborhood, then in District 2, were moved to District 5, which includes Liberty City, Little Haiti, Wynwood and Overtown. People living in Shorecrest spoke out against the shift in multiple public meetings. Commissioners approved the new district map in 2013 after several delays.
De Grandy is also a registered City Hall lobbyist with high-profile matters before the commission. He represents Ultra Music Festival and the team behind Miami Freedom Park, a plan to redevelop Melreese golf course into a $1 billion mall, office complex, hotel, public park and soccer stadium to host home games for David Beckham’s Major League Soccer franchise, Inter Miami.