Micky Steinberg’s Rise to County Commissioner

Residents living in District 4 of Miami-Dade County will have one less box to check on their ballot come Election Day, and with a new commissioner already decided, constituents of Miami Beach can expect a familiar face.

Former Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg automatically won the race for the fourth seat on the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) when she was left standing unopposed by the filing deadline on June 14. Five seats remain up for grabs this year, with Steinberg set to replace current and termed-out Commissioner Sally Heyman.

Steinberg, 45, raised more than $500,000 in her quest to succeed Heyman, warding off any potential challengers.

Having served on the Miami Beach City Commission from 2013 to 2021, she has already devised a checklist of issues to tackle once she takes office on Nov. 22. But whether it’s sea-level rise or traffic mitigation, all of her priorities boil down to one thing: improving the quality of life for her constituents.

“I really want to be a commissioner that will focus on the critical issues and be a strong voice for our residents,” she said.

Those residents will encompass seven ZIP codes within a long, mostly coastal district, running from the county line at its northern boundary through part of Miami Beach.

The former city commissioner brings with her a long résumé of accomplishments, spanning nearly a decade’s worth of experience working in local government, but her relationship to Miami-Dade County – and more specifically, to Miami Beach – runs far deeper than her time in public office.

Local Roots

Born in New York, Steinberg left the state with her mother when she was 9 months old to spend her early childhood years in Israel. At age 5, she moved back to the United States to live in Miami Beach, where she has remained ever since.

She attended Lehrman Community Day School as a child, a private Jewish elementary school in Miami Beach, and was later enrolled in Miami Beach Senior High School, to which she attributes her commitment to public institutions. She began her studies iin hospitality at Florida International University but was presented with a career in customer service before completing her coursework, and then eventually switched over to real estate.

Her husband, Richard Steinberg, also a former Miami Beach commissioner as well as a former Florida House member, is a native Miamian himself, born in Miami Beach at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Now, the two are grateful to raise their children in the same city the couple has always known and loved.

Much of Steinberg’s upbringing and family dynamic has inspired her commitment to public service. Growing up, she quickly learned the importance of hard work, having watched her single mother care for her and her sisters with the help of Steinberg’s late grandmother, who emphasized the importance of community.

Even today, her work is influenced by life at home. It is for the sake of her two young children that she promises to continue to advocate for the public school system – already having been a city commission designee of the Committee for Quality Education in Miami Beach – and why she is so heavily committed to tackling big issues related to climate change.

An Environmental Force

A significant portion of Steinberg’s own agenda is to confront matters exacerbated by sea-level rise, including septic-to-sewer transition and flood mitigation – issues that she confronts with her son and daughter in mind.

“For me, I’m raising my kids here,” she said. “I don’t want to see my kids having to leave. I want them to continue staying around here and making this their home in the future and raising their families here.”

During her time on the Miami Beach City Commission, she championed legislation that now requires new construction in the city to achieve gold certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. As a result of this legislation, Miami Beach won the American Planning Association’s Florida Award of Excellence in the Best Practices category in 2016.

Steinberg plans to continue her focus on safe construction on the BCC. As a resident of a condo herself, and as the future commissioner representing a district that encompasses much of the Biscayne Corridor, she recognizes the particular risk that coastal condominiums face in the wake of king tides and rising seas.

As such, she plans to work with individual municipalities to develop strong safety plans for residential units along Biscayne Bay.

“I think the county could be a good partner,” Steinberg said. “We need to make sure they have all the tools in their toolbox to be successful.”

Steinberg also served as chair for the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee for Miami Beach, as well as for the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee. Still, folks may know her best from the weekly public meetings that she held during her time as a city commissioner – segments she liked to call “Mondays with Micky,” or “M&M.”

Connecting With the Community

“Mondays with Micky” were topic-specific community meetings held virtually or in person that Steinberg utilized to engage and gather weekly feedback from her constituents. She would oftentimes recruit guest speakers, ranging from school board members or police officers to directors of various county departments.

The weekly events were also used to teach residents important skills, including “stop the bleed” tactics, CPR or hurricane preparedness.

“I really feel that, as a local government, it is so important to give that time to the constituents because we are the closest to the people,” Steinberg said.

And although District 4, which encompasses parts of 13 cities that include Aventura, North Miami, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Biscayne Park, Miami Shores, North Bay Village and more, is a much larger beast than the 15 square miles that make up Miami Beach, Steinberg hopes to continue her regular segments in a fashion that’s more appropriate to this far-reaching area.

“It’s obviously not going to be the same because of the district,” she said. “We’re not a one-size-fits-all district. We have different needs and different areas in District 4, so we may make it more area-specific” instead of topic-specific.

Collaboration as Strategy

Despite the added responsibility, Steinberg feels well equipped to take on the extra load. Working in local government is what she jokingly calls a “25/7” gig – albeit one that she is seriously committed to dedicating her time.

Still, she knows she’ll need the proper support system if she’s going to be effective while on the job. Steinberg highlights the importance of consensus-building, acknowledging the need to occasionally rely on partnerships to get things done.

She had to work with the United States Coast Guard, for instance, while seeking approval to alter the operating schedule of the 63rd Street drawbridge as a Miami Beach commissioner, ultimately and successfully preventing the bridge from opening during peak traffic hours.

“You do have to surround yourself with a professional staff and the right expertise so that we can work together to cover ground,” she said. “It’s just making sure you surround yourself with the right people.”

And surrounded she certainly is. She acquired endorsements from a variety of big name politicians while campaigning, including Sen. Jason Pizzo, Reps. Michael Grieco and Joe Geller, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, several county commissioners and more.

Jimmy Morales, the Miami-Dade County chief operations officer who was the Miami Beach city manager for many of the years Steinberg served on the commission, remembers her as respectful, thoughtful, comprehensive and most of all, a good collaborator.

“I think she’ll be a positive addition to the Board of County Commissioners,” Morales said.

A Seamless Transition

Likewise Heyman, who has served 20 years on the BCC, endorsed Steinberg for her own seat in light of the long history of partnership the two share together.

“Her activism was as an individual before she did her eight years on Miami Beach Commission, so I’ve worked with her before,” Heyman said, citing Steinberg’s participation with the National Council of Jewish Women and the county’s beach renourishment projects in the past. “It’s not anything new, it’s just different responsibilities and roles.”

As such, Steinberg and Heyman are ready to work together to provide a seamless transition for their constituents. Steinberg is particularly eager to be four months ahead of the game, no longer having to spend time knocking on doors and campaigning for votes.

“Now I have the opportunity to meet with the administration, get the organizational chart, meet with the different heads of departments and really start hitting the ground running, so that I can start really working for the people of District 4 and Miami-Dade County,” Steinberg said.