Miami-Dade County is shutting down five volunteer advisory boards that connect residents to county government on issues of race, ethnicity and gender.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava disclosed the plan in a Sept. 17 budget memo outlining last-minute changes to her fiscal year 2027 spending proposal, the Miami Herald reported. The memo said 19 county employees who staff the boards would be reassigned to another department.

For Aventura-area residents who have used these boards to raise concerns at the county level, the move eliminates a formal path to influence Miami-Dade policy on issues affecting diverse communities.

State law drives elimination of advisory panels

The boards set to close are the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, the Asian American Advisory Board, the Black Affairs Advisory Board, the LGBTQIA+ Advisory Board and the Commission on Women. The county has not formally confirmed the list. Miami-Dade's county attorney is still reviewing how to comply with Senate Bill 1134, the state law that bars local governments from funding or acting on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

SB 1134 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Penalties are steep: elected officials who violate the law can be removed from office, and residents can sue any government or official they believe is in violation.

Residents, advocates react to closures

"Our last meeting is coming up. And that's it. There is no more Hispanic Affairs board for the county," Liliam Lopez, a member of the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, told the Herald. "That shocked me."

Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez said at a Sept. 17 budget hearing that the county would be "sunsetting" certain boards but that no employees from the Office of Community Advocacy would lose their jobs after Jan. 1, 2027.

Stephen Hunter Johnson, a lawyer and member of the Black Affairs Advisory Board, told the Herald the board gave residents a channel to flag issues for commissioners. The board has organized recent initiatives including promoting a new Overtown events space called the Corner and hosting the "Pillar" awards honoring contributions to the Black community. Johnson said the official county position is that the attorney is still studying the issue, but that unofficially the boards will be gone by Dec. 31, 2026.

County commission previously resisted the law

The county commission had already tried to push back. Before SB 1134 was signed, commissioners approved a motion by Commissioner Rene Garcia urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto the bill, the Miami Times reported. In July 2026, commissioners passed a separate resolution authorizing county lawyers to pursue legal action to clarify how to implement the law.

Commissioner Vicki Lopez, a former state lawmaker who has warned of sweeping consequences from SB 1134, told the Herald she sees courts as the likely path to clarify the law's scope.

Law's reach extends beyond advisory boards

The law's reach extends beyond advisory boards. In North Miami, Mayor Alix Desulme told the Herald the city will not fund its annual Haitian Flag Day celebration in 2027 and expects to stop paying for free joumou, the traditional pumpkin soup served at Haitian celebrations.

No date has been announced for a formal commission vote on dissolving the boards. The county attorney's review of SB 1134 remains ongoing.