Miami’s 2 mayoral finalists face tough questions in forum

Miami’s 2 mayoral finalists face tough questions in forum

MIAMI — Miami’s next mayor will be either Eileen Higgins or Emilio González, and voters will decide in less than a month.

Higgins resigned her Miami-Dade County Commission seat to enter the race. González previously served as Miami’s city manager.

At a forum moderated by Local 10’s Nicole Perez, the candidates fielded questions on climate change, immigration, transportation and affordable housing.

A key moment came as Perez pressed González about the 2017 Miami Forever Bond and lingering questions over how the $400 million was spent.

González said his first action as mayor would be to order an audit.

“I want to do a deep dive. I think it’s fair and not unreasonable to ask what did you do with my tax money?” he said.

Meanwhile, Higgins said the city must plan better to leverage future funding for major housing and infrastructure projects.

“If it’s spent in a strategic way with a plan, you could literally take $100 million and basically be doing $900 million–$1 billion in construction, which could add 10,000 housing, and this is why the city needs to plan,” she said.

The full forum is available to watch by clicking this link.

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Magdala Louissaint

Magdala Louissaint

Magdala Louissaint joined WPLG in August 2025 and is thrilled to call South Florida home.