Should Pines municipal elections move to November? City officials set to discuss
The Pembroke Pines City Commission returns to the dais with its third meeting of the month on Tuesday, March 31.
Among the three items up for discussion: Should future municipal elections move from March to November?
Also, Mayor Angelo Castillo will deliver his State of the City address to discuss how Broward County’s second-largest city is doing and the plans that lie ahead.
Commissioners are gathering on Tuesday this week so as not to conflict with Passover, which starts at sundown on Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know in advance of the meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles F. Dodge City Center:
Should all elections move to November?
Vice Mayor Michael Hernandez plans to bring forward the topic of his most recent op-ed for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, which proposes moving all future city elections from March to November.
His argument for the change is to avoid the high costs of running a standalone March election. In his op-ed, Hernandez notes the March 10 municipal election ran the city $73,700 each for District 1 and District 4, totaling $147,400.
“By contrast, the November 2024 election cost just $20,685 for District 4, about a $53,000 difference,” he wrote.
He also argues that moving the elections would increase voter participation, pointing to the fact that 9% of registered District 4 voters cast ballots for their commissioner in the recent election, compared to over 60% who weighed in on the commission race in November 2024.
If the commission agrees, the proposal must go to the Supervisor of Elections by June to be placed on the November ballot, where voters will decide with a referendum.
Ceremonial police badges, ethics
Hernandez also wants to discuss ceremonial police badges for city commissioners, following a May 21, 2025, incident at Charles W. Flanagan High School involving District 2 Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz.
While working as an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and teaching aviation classes at Flanagan High, Schwartz confronted a group of students and, during the interaction, pulled out a badge from his wallet, investigators said.
Several students and a campus monitor reported they believed he was identifying himself as police. This prompted an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into whether he was impersonating an officer.
According to a memo from the FDLE, the agency found that while the evidence supports a “technical violation of Florida § 843.08 and poor judgment by Schwartz,” the incident did not merit criminal prosecution.
Hernandez recently told the Pembroke Pines News he wants the city to stop issuing ceremonial badges to commission members.
Schwartz is set to bring his own item for discussion, calling for city administration to provide “annual ethics online training” to the city’s employees at the end of each year, starting in 2026.
High-dollar funding approvals
On the consent agenda is a motion to approve $2.9 million to fund 61 new vehicles across various departments, with the police department set to receive 54.
The fire, purchasing, public services, technology services, utility and police departments are listed to receive vehicles as well.
Another agenda item involves approving an agreement with Weekley Asphalt Paving to repair city sidewalks, swales and streets as needed and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for no more than $500,000.
How to watch
Residents can tune into the meeting by watching the livestream on the city’s YouTube channel or attend in person at the Charles F. Dodge City Center, 601 City Center Way.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 2:18 PM.
