Selection process for Transportation Trust Membership

The ordinance creating the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust (Transportation Trust) also defines the manner by which members are nominated and approved. The Nominating Committee is in charge of the selection process and it is comprised of representatives of the geographical, ethnic, racial and gender makeup of Miami-Dade County. The Transportation Trust, as stipulated under the ordinance, states that it is to have 15 members: one residing in each of Miami-Dade County's 13 commission districts, one appointed by the Mayor and one by the Miami-Dade League of Cities without regard to their district of residence.

All members must be residents of Miami-Dade County who possess outstanding reputations for civic involvement, integrity, responsibility, and business and/or professional ability and experience or interest in the fields of transportation mobility improvements or operations, or land use planning.

No person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the Transportation Trust who has any interest, direct or indirect, in a contract with the County or in any corporation, partnership or other entity that has a contract with the County, or who is a member of a community council.

The Nominating Committee is responsible for submitting 15 different slates made up of four candidates each to fulfill the 15-member Transportation Trust. Thirteen slates are created for each of the 13 commission districts, one slate without regard to district for the Dade League of Cities and one slate without regard to district for the Mayor. Each is submitted to their respective District Commissioner, the Dade League of Cities and the Mayor. The parties must each select a name form their slate, however, they are allowed to petition for a new slate of entirely new nominations, should they deem it necessary.

The initial members from Districts 1 to 5, inclusive, shall serve two-year terms; the initial members from Districts 6 to 9, inclusive, shall serve three-year terms; and, the initial members from Districts 10 to 13, inclusive, shall serve four-year terms. The selection of the Mayor shall serve an initial term of four years. The selection of the Miami-Dade League of Cities shall serve an initial term of two years. Such initial terms shall be subject to automatic expiration.

Any vacancy on the Transportation Trust that occurs after appointment of the initial membership, as well as appointment of successors to those members whose terms have expired shall be filled directly by appointment of the Commissioner for the district for in which a vacancy occurs, or, in the case of a vacancy in a Miami-Dade League of Cities appointment shall be filled by appointment of the League, or, in the case of a vacancy in a mayoral appointment shall be filled by appointment of the Mayor.

Such appointments shall be made from a slate submitted by the Nominating Committee following the preset guidelines. The foregoing notwithstanding, an incoming District Commissioner or Mayor may elect to re-appoint his or her predecessor's currently serving appointee, in which case there shall be no need for the Nominating Committee to submit a slate of candidates for such vacancy.

The term of any member appointed or re-appointed pursuant to this subsection after the initial terms set forth above shall be for a term of four years, and in the case of Commissioner or Mayor appointees shall be subject to automatic expiration as provided in subsection (c) of Section 2-11.38.2 of the Code provided. However, a District Commissioner or Mayor-appointed member may continue to serve until the appointment and ratification of the succeeding District Commissioner's or Mayor's selection.

Members may be re-appointed, however no member shall serve more than the maximum number of years provided in subsection (b) of Section 2-11.38.2 of the code. If an appointment is not made by the District Commissioner (or the League or Mayor where applicable) within 30 days from the date on which the Nominating Committee submits the required slate of candidates, the County Commission may appoint the successor.

Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust Nominating Committees:

1. Alliance for Aging, Inc.
2. Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee
3. Coalition of Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce
4. Florida International University
5. Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
6. Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition
7. Miami Dade College
8. Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust
9. Miami-Dade Community Councils
10. Miami-Dade County League of Cities
11. Miami-Dade League of Women Voters
12. NAACP Miami-Dade Branch
13. People Acting for Community Together
14. Underrepresented People's Positive Action Council
15. United Way of Miami-Dade
16. Urban Environment League of Greater Miami
17. Urban League of Greater Miami