(Miami, FL)—City of Miami Commission Chairman Marc D. Sarnoff, District 3 Commissioner Frank Carollo, and District 4 Commissioner Francis Suarez have unanimously agreed to schedule special elections to fill the vacant District 1 and District 5 Commission seats on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

“Legally, the Commission’s only option for District 5 was to hold a special election, the fair thing to do is to ensure residents in District 1 are afforded the same opportunity,” says Chairman Sarnoff.

“Obviously, we have to be aware of the costs associated with holding these elections for the City,” says Commissioner Suarez. “But we calculated the cost per voter to be $6.04, that’s a small price to pay to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”

Candidates must qualify between November 30th and December 4th.

“We are all proud to live in a democracy,” says Commissioner Carollo. “We should let the people decide.”