File photo of a group of residents celebrating the 100-year birthday of the Coral Gables in front of City Hall on 29, 2025.

File photo of a group of residents celebrating the 100-year birthday of the Coral Gables in front of City Hall on 29, 2025.

Pedro Portal

pportal@miamiherald.com

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Editorial Board’s endorsements for Coral Gables election

Coral Gables registered voters will receive mail ballots for eight referendums April 21. Read the Miami Herald Editorial Board’s recommendations on each measure.

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Coral Gables voters are deciding eight referendums in a special election April 21.

It is a mail-ballot-only election, and all registered voters in the city will receive ballots in the mail. They can return them by mail, at no cost, or personally drop them off at the Miami-Dade Office of the Supervisor of Elections at 2700 NW 87th Ave., Miami. The elections office must receive the ballots no later than 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. For more information, click here.

Here are the Miami Herald Editorial Board’s recommendations. Click each title to see our reasoning behind our recommendation for each referendum:

Referendum 1

Question: Should the city charter be amended to change the month and day of the city’s general elections from April of odd-numbered years to the date of national elections in November of each even-numbered year, starting in 2026? Recommendation: YES

Click here to read our reasoning.

Referendum 2

Question: Should the City Commission be prohibited from changing the municipal general election date away from November of even-numbered years through the adoption of an ordinance? Recommendation: YES

Referendum 3

Question: Should the charter be amended to allow a city commissioner or official who appointed a member to a city board or committee to remove that member from that position prior to the expiration of their term, for any reason, if that removal doesn’t conflict with state law? Recommendation: NO

Referendum 4

Question: Should the city charter be amended to require a Charter Review Committee to meet every 10 years, starting in 2035? The committee would review the charter and offer potential amendment recommendations. Recommendation: YES

Referendum 5

Question: Should the Coral Gables City Charter be amended to allow inspector general services to be contracted with Miami-Dade County or a private entity as needed to investigate and audit city operations in order to prevent fraud and abuse of power? Recommendation: YES

Referendum 6

Question: Should the city’s charter be amended to require voter approval for any change in compensation for the city’s elected officials — aside from annual cost-of-living raises? Recommendation: YES

Referendum 7

Question: Should the city’s charter be amended to no longer require a runoff election between the two highest vote-getters in an election where no one won the race with at least 50% plus one of the vote? Recommendation: NO

Referendum 8

Question: Should the charter be amended to require that the city keep a general fund reserve equal to 25% of the city’s operating budget and to require a four-fifths vote of the commission to change that or to spend the reserve money in ways that aren’t defined as an emergency? Recommendation: NO

This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 2:01 PM.