Miami-Dade Commissioners approved a $12.9 billion budget for the coming fiscal year early Friday morning after a grueling meeting that stretched into the pre-dawn hours, ending months of negotiations over how to close a massive shortfall while keeping core services intact.
The marathon session, which began Thursday evening and lasted until nearly 4 a.m., came after nearly 200 residents and nonprofit leaders signed up to speak, voicing[1] concerns[2] about service cuts, higher fees and funding for community programs.
The adopted budget leaves property tax rates unchanged, but raises water rates by 3.5% and increases the county’s annual trash fee by about $5.
Despite the disagreements on the dais, the County Commission approved all measures necessary to implement the county’s new fiscal plan by Oct. 1. The budget closes a roughly $400 million funding gap[3] without raising property taxes, though Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s administration projects a $94 million shortfall looming in 2027.
Levine Cava called the final package a victory for essential services and residents.
“Our budget reflects our shared priorities and values while we continue to build an even more efficient, effective County government,” she said in a statement[4].
“I am proud of the work we accomplished together and confident that this budget will help build a stronger Miami-Dade for all.”
Commissioners ultimately rejected one of the most controversial elements of Levine Cava’s original plan[5] — a proposed 50-cent transit fare hike[6], which would have been the county’s first in over a decade.
Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez led the charge to kill the increase, diverting funds from a reserve account for future transit projects to fill the gap.
“Riders should not be forced to pay more, especially when everyone deserves access to reliable and affordable public transit,” he said in a statement[7].
Other austerity measures also fell away in the weeks leading up to the vote. Charity groups and arts organizations that feared losing county grants had their funding restored after lobbying efforts. Leaders of nonprofits like Curley’s House Food Bank[8] and Edge Zones[9] arts center credited county support as a lifeline for their work and urged Commissioners to safeguard funding in future years.
Still, Commissioners did make cuts. Lifeguards will be removed from swimming holes in county parks and the Office of New Americans[10], which assists legal immigrants pursuing green cards, will close.
Environmental groups also criticized a structural change in the county’s permitting system, warning that shifting much of the regulatory authority of the Division of Environmental Resources Management to the building department could weaken environmental oversight.
The adopted plan increases the Sheriff’s Office budget by more than $80 million, bringing it to about $1 billion, and preserves subsidies for the 2026 World Cup.
MetroConnect[11], a neighborhood ride service originally slated for elimination, will continue operating but with fewer service zones and a $3.75 fare per trip. The company that operates the service, Via, went public this month[12] with initial share offerings at around $42 each.
Tensions ran high at County Hall as Commissioners debated how to balance the budget without worsening burdens for residents. Commissioner Oliver Gilbert warned that relying on one-time fixes from reserves and vacancies could deepen fiscal problems in future years, likening it to “using a Band-Aid for an amputation.”
“Eventually,” he said, “we’re going to have to cauterize.”
Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis said she supported protecting public safety services, but could not back a plan that left priorities like the Ludlam Trail[13] unfunded.
“This is a promise we made to thousands of families along the corridor, and I will not allow it to be forgotten,” she said in a 9 a.m. statement Friday, adding that she wants more accountability in how nonprofit dollars are tracked.
The trash and water fee hikes narrowly passed on a 7-5 vote, with Rodriguez, Milian Orbis and Commissioners Rob Gonzalez, Marleine Bastien and René Garcia voting “no.” Commissioner Juan-Carlos “J.C.” Bermudez was absent due to health issues.
Post Views: 0
References
- ^ voicing (www.nbcmiami.com)
- ^ concerns (www.nbcmiami.com)
- ^ roughly $400 million funding gap (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ statement (x.com)
- ^ original plan (www.miamidade.gov)
- ^ proposed 50-cent transit fare hike (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ statement (x.com)
- ^ Curley’s House Food Bank (curleyshousefoodbank.com)
- ^ Edge Zones (www.edgezones.org)
- ^ Office of New Americans (www.miamidade.gov)
- ^ MetroConnect (www.miamidade.gov)
- ^ went public this month (ridewithvia.com)
- ^ Ludlam Trail (www.nbcmiami.com)