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ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE “SPECIAL AMBASSADOR” PROGRAM; AMENDING ARTICLE LXIXA OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE CODE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING PROVISIONS RELATING TO APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL AMBASSADORS; APPOINTING ROMERO BRITTO AS SPECIAL AMBASSADOR IN THE FIELD OF ART; AND PROVIDING SEVERABILITY, INCLUSION IN AND EXCLUSION FROM THE CODE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE

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WHEREAS, the “Special Ambassador” program was created in 2014 by this Board for the purpose of promoting increased interchange of ideas, goodwill, cooperation, and understanding on behalf of the citizens of Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, this Board decided that the Special Ambassador appointed should have national or international stature and shall provide symbolic representation on behalf of the County at various events, functions, meetings, gatherings and social occasions; and
WHEREAS, Emilio Estefan was appointed and confirmed as the County’s inaugural Special Ambassador in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Romero Britto is one of the most well-known and well respected artists to call Miami-Dade County home; and
WHEREAS, Romero Britto was born in Brazil, in 1963; and
WHEREAS, Britto lived and grew up in a large family of eight siblings; and
WHEREAS, his innate creativity allowed Britto to fill his life with images of a bigger and more beautiful world beyond his own at an early age; and
WHEREAS, from a young age, Britto painted what he saw and what he imagined on surfaces such as newspapers, cardboard or any scraps that he could find; and
WHEREAS, at the age of 14, Britto formally revealed his art to the public for the first time in an exhibition held by the Organization of American States; and
WHEREAS, Britto’s artistic nature eventually led him to seek experiences outside Brazil, where he was exposed to and influenced by the works of artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, Britto immigrated to the United States, settling in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, Britto’s work for the Absolut Art Ad Campaign in 1989 catapulted his work into the limelight; and
WHEREAS, Britto’s unique fusion of Pop Art and Cubism has been commissioned by the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the World Cup, and Disney; and
WHEREAS, Britto’s art hangs in galleries and museums around the world, and he has had more of his artwork licensed than any other artist in history; and
WHEREAS, Britto’s art has been shown in countless galleries and museums nationwide, including the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France, Today Art Museum in Beijing, China, and the Florida Museum of Hispanic and Latin American Art in Miami; and
WHEREAS, Britto’s public sculptures are featured throughout the world, including Florida, Germany, Washington D.C., and New York; and
WHEREAS, Britto is an activist for charitable organizations worldwide and has donated his time, art, and resources to countless charities; and
WHEREAS, this Board would like to honor Britto for his significant accomplishments and contributions to the Miami-Dade community,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA,
Section 1. Article LXIXA of chapter 2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County is hereby amended to read as follows:1
ART. LXIXA.
SPECIAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
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Sec. 2-957 Organization, appointment, term and qualifications.
[[The Miami-Dade County Economic Development Committee, or its successor, shall]] >>Any Commissioner, by resolution, may<< nominate to the Board of County Commissioners those individuals worthy of serving as [[the]] >>a<< Special Ambassador of Miami-Dade County.
Sec. 2-957.1 Special Ambassador qualifications.
The >>Board of County Commissioners<< [[Miami-Dade County Economic Development Committee, or its successor,]] shall have the power and duty to recommend criteria and qualifications of persons worthy of serving as the Special Ambassador of Miami-Dade County, and to consider and [[nominate to the Board of County Commissioners]] >>confirm upon affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those commissioners present at a Commission meeting<< those individuals worthy of the title of Special Ambassador. The selection criteria shall include, but not be limited to consideration of the national or international stature of the nominee, the nominee's ability to serve as an ambassador-at-large on behalf of Miami-Dade County, the nominee's commitment to the interchange of ideas, and the nominee's ability to promote goodwill, cooperation, and understanding on behalf of the citizens of Miami-Dade County. >>Such nominees shall have outstanding capabilities in fields such as arts, culture, film, theater, science or education.<<
Sec. 2-957.2 Appointment of Special Ambassador
[[The Miami-Dade County Economic Development Committee, or its successor, shall provide its nominations to the Board of County Commissioners no later than six (6) months prior to the expiration of the term of the presently-serving Special Ambassador. The Board of County Commissioners shall appoint one (1) Special Ambassador per term, except that legal spouses may serve jointly as Special Ambassadors during a single term provided that both spouses independently meet the criteria to serve as Special Ambassadors.]] >>The Board of County Commissioners shall confirm nominated individuals upon affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those commissioners present at a Commission meeting. The Board of County Commissioners may appoint as many individuals to serve concurrently as Special Ambassadors of Miami-Dade County that it determines in its discretion are worthy of such designation. The appointees shall represent a variety of fields and areas of expertise, including, but not limited to, arts, culture, film, theater, science and education.<<
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Section 2. Notwithstanding Article LXIXA of chapter 2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Romero Britto is hereby appointed as a Special Ambassador of Miami-Dade County in the field of art, with a term to begin upon the effective date of this ordinance and expiring on December 31, 2025.
Section 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or provision of this ordinance is held invalid, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected by such invalidity.
Section 4. It is the intention of the Board of County Commissioners, and it is hereby ordained that the provisions of section 1 this ordinance shall become and be made a part of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida. The sections of this ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such intention, and the word “ordinance” may be changed to “section,” “article,” or other appropriate word.
Section 5. This ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the date of enactment unless vetoed by the Mayor, and if vetoed, shall become effective only upon an override by this Board.

1 Words stricken through and/or [[double bracketed]] shall be deleted. Words underscored and/or >>double arrowed<< constitute the amendment proposed. Remaining provisions are now in effect and remain unchanged.