Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 11-1 to adopt a measure placing a temporary pause on certain annexations and incorporations, directing the county to study financial and infrastructure impacts before allowing additional boundary changes.

The ordinance, taken up under item 7a as a second-reading matter, was amended several times during debate. Commissioners accepted edits to exempt proposed annexations that consist entirely of residential zoning (with a specific exclusion for RU-5A parcels) and preserved certain areas for further consideration, such as Area 6 (an industrial/corporate park) and Area 15, at the request of commissioners on the dais. The maker of the motion later amended the timeline to require a two-year moratorium on incorporations and a four-year moratorium on annexations, and asked the administration to return with a fiscal report analyzing the net budgetary impacts of annexation and incorporation proposals.

Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, the item sponsor, said the ordinance aims to provide a pause so the county can evaluate how cumulative annexations affect service levels and the unincorporated millage rate. Commissioners who represent largely unincorporated districts argued the moratorium is necessary to protect county revenue streams and service levels; other commissioners urged protections for residents’ self-determination and sought carve-outs for residential neighborhoods.

After protracted debate and several friendly amendments accepted on the floor, the commission approved the ordinance 11 to 1. The motion directs staff to return with a report on fiscal impacts and infrastructure needs associated with annexations and incorporations. Commissioners said the moratorium is intended as a pause to allow a data-driven policy review rather than a permanent prohibition.