Next Thursday's City of Miami Commission meeting could be down one voting member with Commissioner Jeffrey Watson recovering from COVID-19. The 63-year-old has been at Jackson Memorial Hospital for the last week fighting his way back to health from the potentially deadly virus.
He told Miami Times and Biscayne Times senior writer Erik Bojnansky by phone on Thursday that the coronavirus “hit him hard” toward the end of the Feb. 25 commission meeting, which he purposefully attended virtually to keep others safe. Watson said he stayed on long enough to ensure local hiring preferences in the Jungle Island development agreement with ESJ Capital Partners, then logged off before the vote. Watson coughed and cleared his throat frequently during the meeting. He reported “falling asleep” shortly afterward and not waking up until 11:25 a.m. the next day.
City of Miami Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban convinced Watson to go to the hospital after visiting him at home. Both Watson and members of his team were very complimentary of Zahralban and the paramedics.
“The chief and his guys are fabulous,” said Watson.
Watson surprised everyone in late November 2020 by being selected to fill the District 5 seat vacated by Keon Hardemon. He made a stealth, last-minute bid for the appointment and came out on top ahead of 14 other candidates and the odds-on-favorite at the time, Kristine King, president of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation and Hardemon’s preferred choice to succeed him.
Since then, Watson has earned a reputation for being professional, engaged and responsive to his constituents. He's also been a soothing influence on the frequently volatile board.
Two decades ago, he was chief of staff for then City of Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez, as well as well as finance administrator for the city’s department of housing and development. He also has worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., as CEO of Solairgen Energy Corp. and as a tax accountant at Arthur Andersen and Company.
Watson says the big take-way from his ongoing bout with COVID-19 is that: “You got to do this vaccine because it is important to protect everyone around you, including yourself.”
District 5 community liaison Patrick Barham expressed optimism that his boss would be released from the hospital before Monday.