Yahoo Movies Miami could fire ex-lawmaker who is redrawing voting map. His past raised questions
Miami commissioners are ready to cancel a $10,000-a-month contract with former state Senate President Bill Galvano three months after he was hired to study the city’s population shifts and redraw the boundaries of its voting districts.
The ex-lawmaker has experience leading Senate Republicans’ controversial efforts to redraw districts statewide, a process that led to several protracted court battles and an admission that Republicans intentionally drew districts that favored incumbents and parties — a violation of the law. The saga spanned years and cost taxpayers more than $11 million.
Galvano’s history with drawing voting districts, detailed in the Miami Herald over the years and resurfaced in December, caught the attention of people in Commissioner Jeffrey Watson’s district. Watson said after hearing concerns that Miami’s process could be questioned with Galvano at the helm, he wants to hire another consultant. He proposed the change in Thursday’s commission meeting during an unexpected discussion.
“So a lot of people saw that article and told me we need to find somebody to balance it out and find somebody who can ensure our process and effort are beyond reproach,” Watson told the Herald. “Nothing toward anybody personally.”
Watson quickly found support from Commissioners Joe Carollo, Manolo Reyes and Ken Russell. Carollo said he worried Galvano’s involvement might invite critics to attack the city’s process and make accusations of partisanship.
“I think Mr. Galvano is a professional. I think he could do a wonderful job,” Carollo said. “My concern is ... that when I started seeing the attacks on him, no matter what a great job he would do, it’s going to be questioned by some that are going to try to muddy the process because he was the one who did it.”
Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, who recommended Galvano for the job, said “there is no controversy, other than a newspaper article or two that has come out.” He defended his friend’s reputation and argued it was improper for the commissioner to fire Galvano without giving him a chance to address the commission’s concerns.
When it looked like the votes were locked in to cancel Galvano’s contract, Díaz de la Portilla asked Watson to wait until the Jan. 28 commissioner meeting before forcing the vote so Galvano, a Bradenton resident, could come to City Hall.
“It’s a shame that he’s not given the opportunity to come before this body because he does deserve that kind of respect,” Díaz de la Portilla said. “He does deserve that kind of deference because he was a Senate president with a very distinguished career, and before you, for lack of a better word, sack someone, you should at least ask him to come up before us and address this commission.”
After Díaz de la Portilla’s entreaty Thursday, Watson agreed to push the vote to Jan. 28. He later said he’d move to replace Galvano then. Other commissioners’ comments suggested the deferral might be little more than a collegial step before canceling the contract.
Galvano swore Díaz de la Portilla into office when Diaz de la Portilla won his District 1 commission seat in 2019. The commissioner has worked as a political consultant for the former Senate president in the past. Díaz de la Portilla’s brother, Miguel, served in the Senate with Galvano.
Galvano signed a one-year deal with the city in October, after commissioners unanimously agreed to fund the $120,000 consulting contract in the municipal budget. He had invoiced the city for about $10,250 as of mid-December. Commissioners did not comment on Galvano’s past when they asked him to help the city secure a U.S. Census count of at least a half-million residents in order to be eligible for potential future rounds of federal aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, Galvano said he would be “happy to answer any questions the commission may have and look forward to an open dialogue.”
“Political views do not impact my professional work and judgment. Redistricting must follow very specific legal standards,” Galvano said in a text message. “That said, I respect that the commissioners can decide who they want as a consultant.”
Miami Consultant Agreement ... by Joey Flechas
Watson has proposed replacing Galvano with a more familiar face around City Hall: Miguel De Grandy, another former state lawmaker who led Miami’s previous redistricting process in 2012. The effort attracted its own controversy when residents in Miami’s Upper East Side were moved to District 5, which includes Liberty City, Little Haiti, Wynwood and Overtown. Shorecrest residents railed against the move in several public hearings. After several delays to allay concerns in 2013, the plan passed.
Watson has represented District 5 since commissioners appointed him in November to complete the term of former commissioner Keon Hardemon, who was elected to the Miami-Dade County Commission.
De Grandy is an attorney with Holland & Knight and registered City Hall lobbyist. He represents a number of high-profile clients, including Ultra Music Festival and the team pursuing Miami Freedom Park, a plan to redevelop Melreese golf course into a $1 billion commercial center, office complex, hotel, public park and soccer stadium to host home games for David Beckham’s Major League Soccer franchise, Inter Miami.
De Grandy did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
