A beautiful beginning: Eileen Higgins sworn in as Miami mayor; now what?

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Now comes the hard part

Miami loves a moment. And Thursday’s swearing-in of Eileen Higgins — Miami’s first female mayor — was a moment.

Standing-room-only at the Wolfson Campus auditorium. A packed house of supporters. The full political cast of characters. Beaming parents front and center. Giddiness spilling out of every photo and video pushed by legacy media like it was a quinceañera for City Hall itself.

And honestly? It was sweet. Disarmingly so.

Higgins practically built the ceremony around her parents, who stood beside her as she took the oath — administered by Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Juan Fernandez-Barquin — and looked like they might burst from pride at any second. You don’t fake that kind of joy. It was earned. And it was lovely.

But this is Miami. And Ladra is allergic to fairy tales.

Front row sightings included outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez, seated next to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava — a pairing Ladra hopes did not result in any lingering political cooties.

Also in attendance: Miami commissioners past and present, Higgins’ former county commission colleagues, and a long list of Miami’s political who’s who.

Read related: La Gringa Eileen Higgins makes history with Miami mayoral election victory

And yes, Miami Dade College President Madeleine Pumariega was there too — smiling, applauding, celebrating — fresh off standing quietly by while the MDC Board of Trustees handed over 2.6 acres of prime Biscayne Boulevard land originally meant for students to the Donald Trump Presidential Library people, a decision made pretty much in secrecy and being challenged in court.

Ladra sincerely hopes Higgins made it crystal clear she is not on board with that particular giveaway.

In her remarks, Higgins didn’t waste time signaling what kind of mayor she intends to be, basically announcing competence over chaos.

“You chose competence over corruption, direction over distraction, public service over political gridlock,” she told the crowd.

A line that landed hard — because everyone in that room knows exactly what she was contrasting herself against.

She promised unity. She promised service to everyone — including those who didn’t vote for her.

“Everyone deserves a city that works for them,” Higgins said.

Not because of politics. Not because of language. Not because of zip code. But because Miami is a shared home.

It was aspirational. It was inclusive. And it was very clearly a reset.

Higgins made history as the first woman to lead Miami and the first Democrat elected mayor in decades. That matters. Representation matters. Symbolism matters.

But symbolism doesn’t fix permitting backlogs. It doesn’t lower rents. It doesn’t restore public trust.

And Higgins seems to know that.

Read related: Rolando Escalona sworn in as Miami’s newest city commissioner = D3 reset

She’s already said she wants to “act like the government of one of the most famous cities in the world” — which, frankly, is a subtle jab at how unserious City Hall has become. But she is stepping into office with a very green city commission:

• Rolando Escalona, fresh off his stunning upset of former Commissioner Frank Carollo, bringing new energy, a new name to District 3 in 16 years — and no margin for error.
• Ralph Rosado, an urban planner with zero elected experience who won a special election after the death of of Commissioner Manolo Reyes, with a lot of help from former Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Mayor Francis Suarez. A lot of good it did them.
• Miguel Angel Gabela , who is in the middle of his first term and still learning to navigate the political landscape.
• Damian Pardo, also in the middle of his first term, a reform candidate who has all but abandoned that vision and already pissing people of so much that there has been talk of a recall.

Christine King is now the most tenured commissioner — which tells you everything you need to know about the reset voters demanded.

This is not a body steeped in institutional memory. It is a body hungry to prove itself. That can be powerful — or chaotic — depending on leadership.

The mood Thursday was joyful. The moment? Serious. But now? The stakes are painfully clear.

Thursday felt like relief. Like a comfortable exhale. Like Miami saying, “Okay, let’s try this.”

But the applause will fade. The hugs and kisses will diminish. The photos will stop circulating. And the work will begin.

Higgins promised to calm the chaos. To focus on affordability. To fix the city’s broken permitting system. To restore professionalism to a City Hall better known lately for lawsuits, vendettas, and drama on the dais.

But what about Watson Island? Will she veto one of the biggest giveaways the city has ever approved? She only has three days to do it, after Commissoner approved the sale for $29 of 3.2 acres of waterfront property to developers, land that is worth at least 10 times more.

And then there is the Bayfront Park Management Trust, and the prior manager’s efforts to fold it into the city’s park system. Will she reverse that? What will she do with the alleged investigation into abuse of the Trust funds by former commissioner Joe Carollo?

Read related: Ka-ching! Miami DDA is doling out more checks to billionaire companies

How will Higgins deal with the criticism around the corporate welfare checks the Miami Downtown Development Authority gives to billionaire entities? Higgins sat as vice chair of the DDA while it gave $450,000 to FC Barcelona, $100,000 to the UFC and $175,000 to the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship — and said nada. Will she continue to ignore the allegations of budget abuse?

Thursday’s swearing-in was a celebratory beginning — no doubt. The question now is: Can Eileen Higgins turn good vibes into good governance?

Because Miami didn’t just elect a mayor. It elected an expectation.

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