Ahead of his final days in office, outgoing Miami Mayor Francis Suarez penned an editorial in the Miami Herald to reflect on his eight-year tenure.
In the piece titled “Mayor Suarez: I leave behind a global city and a safer Miami,” Suarez highlighted some of the city’s accomplishments under his watch, rather than the many lowlights that New Times has covered. He cited the city’s population growth, employment rates that lagged the national average, record-low city taxes, the creation of child savings accounts for kindergartners, expanded affordable housing, public safety reaching “historic highs,” and Miami’s emergence as a global city.
“As I close this chapter, I do so with gratitude, humility, and pride,” he wrote. “Miami’s future has never been brighter — not because of any one leader, but because this city chose to believe in itself. That belief — Miami for everyone — is the legacy I leave behind, and the promise I know this city will continue to keep.”…