Miami Gardens residents seek to overturn election of city council over Formula 1

C. Isaiah Smalls II
·4 min read

A group of Miami Gardens residents have begun the process to recall the election of three city councilpersons who voted in favor of a community benefits package that paved the way for a controversial Formula One race.

Led by the political action committee Miami Gardens Strong, the recall seeks to remove Vice Mayor Reginald Leon (seat 2), Councilman Robert Stephens (seat 6) and Councilwoman Katrina Wilson (seat 4) from their positions, claiming that their votes in favor of a deal with F1 race organizers go against community interests.

All three supported a resolution that partnered the city with the Miami Dolphins to ensure that its planned F1 race preparations include noise mitigation barriers and a $5 million commitment to be paid over the next 10 years; it also guarantees that the track won’t run along Northwest 199th Street and Northwest 27th Avenue.

These measures, however, did nothing to safeguard children and the elderly from the harmful effects of both noise and air pollution, said Miami Gardens Strong chair Karen Hunter-Jackson.

“Our feeling was no matter what, don’t cooperate or give safe haven in any way to any event that is going to impose what we feel is environmental racism on our community,” said Hunter-Jackson, who also serves as the chair of the recall committee. The first race is planned for 2022; it is expected to run annually for the next decade.

Beginning May 10, the recall committee will have 30 days to collect the signatures of 10% of registered voters from each Miami Gardens district. Miami-Dade County’s Election Supervisor will review the signatures; if certified, another petition bearing the elected official’s defense of actions will be created. The committee will then have 60 days to collect the signatures of 15% of voters. If that number is achieved and verified, a recall election will be held if the councilperson decided to stay in office.

In an effort to garner support, Miami Gardens Strong held two petition rallies over the weekend and plans to do so again May 22 and 23. Last Saturday’s event attracted former Miami Gardens councilman Erhabor Ighodaro, who accused his successors of selling out the city for basically “$4 and some change per resident.”

F1 has long since been a contentious issue in Miami Gardens — though county zoning allows for racing at Hard Rock Stadium. The immediate past city council voted against it. In late 2020, a group of residents filed a lawsuit accusing former County Mayor Carlos Giménez and the Dolphins of racial discrimination because of the race.

“When the people said no, you have to respect that,” Ighodaro said. The city’s partnership with the stadium, he explained, directly conflicted with the origins of Miami Gardens, which was founded because residents of the primarily Black community felt they could service their neighborhood better than the county.

“It seems like we’re now being controlled by the stadium,” he added.

The number of signatures collected to date remains unclear.

Five of the seven Miami Gardens city council members voted April 14 to create the community benefits package. Mayor Rodney Harris and Councilwoman Linda Julien, who also voted for it, have not yet served long enough to be recalled.

In response to the petition, Leon sent an F1 fact sheet graphic that listed the timeline of events leading up to the vote and the benefits that the city will receive.

“I want to make sure the people of Miami Gardens know the truth versus what’s being said on the recall petition,” Leon said.

Said Stephens: “The way that I voted doesn’t change to this day because I know that I voted to best help the residents.”

All three questioned the accuracy of the information being used to recall their election, specifically in relation to that April vote. Wilson emphasized that the April vote was made based on the county’s zoning code that permits racing at Hard Rock Stadium. The city’s refusal to issue permits would open it to lawsuits.

“The law is on their side,” Wilson said

Shortly after the April vote, Harris told the Miami Herald that the impetus behind the community benefits package was that “the race would’ve continued to happen with or without our permission.” In his view, Miami Gardens now could at least get something out of it..

But residents at Saturday’s rally took issue with Harris’ belief that his hands were tied, saying that he should have sued the county, raised noise ordinances and, above all else, stayed aligned with them.

“With this effort, win or lose, we’re showing them that we got something to say,” Brenda Martin-Providence said Saturday after signing the petition.

Said Lake Lucerne resident Lynette Hickenbottom, “The problem is that [the city council] don’t care about us.”

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