Sheriff gets her millions; firefighters still up in the air
Budget season is usually messy, but this summer has been a full-on disaster. And Thursday night at 5 p.m., Miami-Dade residents get their first chance to sound off at the budget hearing before commissioners take their first vote.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has been in cleanup mode for weeks, backtracking on the most controversial cuts she dropped on July 15 like a ton of bricks. Remember? Arts funding, senior services, even mowing the grass at the neighborhood park were on the chopping block. Commissioner Marleine Bastien, usually an ally, called it a “community train wreck” and a “budget without soul.” Commissioner Kionne McGhee said “working families are left out.” And they weren’t wrong.
Now, suddenly, between borrowing some funds from the future and tweaking here and there, La Alcaldesa suddenly found almost enough money to fill her $402 million hole. How does that happen?
Read related: Critics say Miami-Dade 2025-26 budget could possibly put public safety at risk
The loudest battle, of course, was with newly elected Sheriff Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz. A change in Florida’s Constitution required Miami-Dade to spin off its police agency into an independent sheriff’s office after the November 2024 election. The Republican lawwoman cried foul earlier, saying that the mayor’s budget was “defunding the police” because she got “only” $55 million more. She wanted $94 million more than what the Miami-Dade Police Department got last year.
Last week, the mayor blinked. Levine Cava announced an extra $31 million for the Sheriff’s Office, bringing Rosie’s total to about $1.1 billion. That fight? Defused. “This is a victory for every resident, family, and neighborhood in our county,” Cordero-Stutz said in a statement. “With these resources secured, the Sheriff’s Office can continue to meet the needs of a growing community.”
So, that means the sheriff must have also done some belt-tightening. She asked for $94 million, got a total of $86 million and can still meet all her needs? So, $8 million was what? Padding?
But don’t think the drama is over. There are still plenty of hot potatoes baked into this budget:

Parks lifeguards: Gone at natural swimming holes like Matheson Hammock. That cut survived.
Charity & arts grants: Some money is back, but nonprofits are still short about $11 million.
Water rates: Levine Cava scaled back her 6% hike to 3.5% after Commissioner Raquel Regalado stepped in. But it’s still an increase.
Garbage fees: They’re expected to go up, even as the future of solid waste disposal in the county is a dumpster fire.
Senior centers: Little River stays open. South Dade? Still slated for closure.
Transit: The MetroConnect shuttle gets the axe, unless an alternative pops up. Bus and rail riders still face a 50-cent fare hike. MetroMover might start costing up to $100 a month for downtowners. Tolls on the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne are slated to go up by 200%.
FIFA: The public and some commissioners question if now is the best time for the county to shell $46 million in cash and services to the FIFA World Cup related activities (read: parties).

The big fight now is over the mayor’s plan to dump $28 million in chopper costs onto the fire rescue department to pay for air rescue services themselves through their separate tax. Currently, the county pays out of the general fund to operate the four helicopters that fly critical patients to the hospital to get them there faster and douse brushfires from the skies.
Read related: Mayor Daniella Levine Cava wants Fire District to pay for air rescue helicopters
But here’s the rub: The choppers serve every inch of the county — even the five municipalities that don’t pay a penny into the fire district: Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah and Key Biscayne. And, basically, Levine Cava’s idea is to let those people ride for free while the other municipalities and the people in the unincorporated county areas foot the bill.
Levine Cava insists she’s protecting “core county services” while keeping the property tax rate low. She says her original proposal was a “snapshot in time” before her staff nailed down more one-time surplus dollars. But her critics aren’t buying it.
Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez mocked her on social media: “It looks like, after the self-induced ‘perfect storm,’ as she calls it, the ayor followed the imaginary yellow brick road to the pot of money that was waiting right where she left it,” Gonzalez wrote Thursday on the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Enough with the games and storytelling, we’re not in Kansas anymore!”
So, now the stage is set for Thursday’s first public budget hearing at County Hall. Residents, nonprofits, cops, firefighters, seniors, and straphangers all get their turn at the mic. Two minutes, if Commission Chairman “King Anthony” Rodriguez feels generous. Otherwise, they’ll get 60 seconds. Then, the commission takes its first vote on the mayor’s ever changing proposal.
Round two comes later this month. And Gonzalez says he wants a change order by the Sept. 18 hearing that fully funds the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department’s air rescue operations. He was flanked by Commissioners Rene Garcia and Natalie Milian Orbis and Congressman Carlos Gimenez — who had to jump into the debate — at the fire union’s press conference last week where he demanded that police and fire be fully funded. The fire union has threatened legal action.
“What we have is no longer a mismanagement of funds,” Gonzalez said in a video posted on his Instagram. “What we really have is a failure to prioritize the things that are important to the residents of Miami-Dade County.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
“I am sick and tired of the shell games,” said Gonzalez, who has seemed to be campaigning for higher office recently. “The mayor says that we’re in a deficit. Then she says that we’re not in a deficit. The mayor says that she lost money. Then she says that she found money. Folks, there is one thing that we cannot play with, and that is the safety and the lives of our residents.”
Some things never change on the 29th floor — and that includes finding magical drawers of money when you most need to.
Speaking of which, enter Gimenez, the former county mayor. Because, por supuesto, he shows up at press conference to wag his finger at his Democratic successor. “They need more money, more units, more firefighters,” Gimenez, a former fire captain and city manager, blasted as he stood with fire union leaders and firefighters.
Excuse Ladra while she coughs up a hairball. Because we all remember when this same Gimenez, as county mayor, proposed rolling “brownouts” at fire stations — putting one or two units out of service every shift and rotating which neighborhoods would lose coverage. That was his idea of fiscal responsibility. Now, he’s suddenly the defender of Fire Rescue’s funding?
Levine Cava’s camp wasn’t having it, either. As Gimenez spoke, her comms team blasted out a slick video of La Alcaldesa, smiling, “setting the record straight,” and praising firefighters as “heroes” while touting the raises and new trucks she’s delivered in her five years. She insists the helicopter shuffle is just an accounting move: “The services remain unchanged, and the public will not be impacted.” Her budget folks point out that Fire Rescue has actually grown 10% under her watch and say delays are about land costs and backlogged fire truck orders, not dollars.
The union isn’t buying it. “Lives hang in the balance,” union president William “Billy” McAllister warned. “When seconds count, sometimes we’re minutes away.”
So, now, we’ve got the firefighter-turned-mayor-turned-congressman tag-teaming with union leaders and Republican commissioners against the current mayor. The same guy who once pitched cutting back fire coverage is now crying wolf about a “dangerously unfair” budget.
Ladra says grab your helmets, gente. The helicopter fight is only fueling the flames as commissioners get ready to take their first budget vote Thursday night in a meeting that might look look less like a policy debate and more like a campaign commercial.
Ladra can’t help but wonder if the congressman is going to make an appearance.
The first public hearing of the Miami-Dade 2025-2026 proposed budget starts at 5:01 p.m. Thursday at County Hall, 111 NW First Street, and can also be seen online on the county’s website.
The post Miami-Dade County commission set for budget showdown, hearing Thursday appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Dariel Fernandez gives county hall $26 million gift
While Miami-Dade is drowning in debt and digging under the couch cushions looking for a staggering $402 million to close Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s budget gap, blaming the constitutional offices for a big chunk of the shortage — one of those offices is swimming in a big $9.6 billion infinity pool.
Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez sent out a very polished “we’re doing great” memo late last month, reminding everyone that his constitutionally independent shop is funded by state-set fees and a 2% commission on collections — not the county’s strapped general fund. Translation: Our lights stay on even if your budget’s bleeding red ink.
And Fernandez is apparently offering to provide $26 million to plug the hole in the Miami-Dade budget, even though he has earlier said that county should have planned for the constitutional offices, which were approved by voters in 2018.
Read related: Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava defends new budget, service cuts
Let the numbers sink in: The same county that collects nearly $10 billion from residents and businesses is somehow $402 million in the hole, hiking bus fares and park fees and cutting services like meals to the elderly. The Tax Collector’s office, which handles property taxes, fees, and other revenue streams, has never looked richer. But the county budget — which funds public services, infrastructure and community programs — is bleeding red.
It’s a tale of two ledgers.
How does that happen? What kind of math is this? And more importantly — where’s the money going?
The almost $10 billion in collected taxes are then distribute not only to the county, municipalities and school board, but also all the special taxing districts and agencies, like The Children’s Trust.
“We are not a branch of County government,” Fernandez said in a statement. “We are a constitutionally independent office at the local level.” His budget was submitted Aug. 1 directly to the Florida Department of Revenue’s Property Tax Oversight (PTO) program for independent review.
Fernandez — a rare government official because he isn’t crying poor — stressed that independence matters, because it keeps him focused on service, not politics. Ladra will stop now to give time to the open laughter. Okay, are we done? Because in Miami-Dade, politics is like glitter: You can’t keep it out of anything.
And while the county could have been bracing for him to keep the full 2% commission, as the state allows, Fernandez says he’s giving back more than 61% of it this year, plus waiving it completely for municipalities and the unincorporated county. It amounts to nearly $40 million back into local coffers. Fernandez even bragged about $15 million in interest earnings sent to taxing authorities.
Read related: New Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez launches new license desk
The tax collector, one of five new constitutional offices approved by voters in 2018, has taken over and expanded the Department of Motor Vehicles services in Miami-Dade — new offices, kiosks at Publix, Saturday hours, reduced waits. Fernandez has painted a picture of an efficient, modern, cash-moving machine. He says the office has already collected and distributed $9.6 billion in just 200 days, with more than $10 billion projected next year.
Fernandez has repeatedly explained that the office is supposed to be self-sufficient. “The State of Florida did not just assign us new responsibilities. It clearly defined how we are to fund them,” he said in a statement. “We operate using the fees we generate through services and the limited commissions we are authorized to retain from tax collections, as outlined in state law.
“We are a self-sustaining model that not only covers our costs but also distributes billions to local governments. Importantly, we do not have a surplus. Each year, we start at zero” Fernandez said. “Every dollar we manage belongs to the public, and we treat it that way. We are not here to build bureaucracy. We are here to build trust and return value to Miami-Dade residents.”
In that vein, we assume, Fernandez and Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez announced this week that they found $26 million in the tax collector’s coffers — $20 million in accelerated funds (out of the $78 million estimated due to the county in October 2026, so that’s just postponing the shortfall) and $6 million from what they anticipate as this year’s surplus — that can be transferred to the county’s general fund.
“My top priorities are clear: protecting the taxpayers of Miami-Dade County, keeping our finances in order, and making sure that our residents, especially the most vulnerable, have access to vital public services they need to thrive in our community,” Rodriguez wrote in a memo dated Aug. 11 and titled “Proposed Path for Partial Restoration of Budget Cuts – Framework for a Path Forward.”
“Crafting a balanced budget in today’s economy means making hard choices, thinking strategically, and a commitment to financial stewardship,” Rodriguez wrote, taking credit for “extensive negotiations and conversations” with Fernandez to make this $26 million windfall happen. “I remain steadfast in my responsibility to lead with purpose and ensure that every public dollar is spent wisely and transparently.”
Rodriguez, who has encouraged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to send his state DOGE squad to Miami-Dade, has said he plans to use these new-found funds for cultural arts funding, community organizations, parks and the reserve funds.
“Setting aside nearly one-third of these funds to build County reserves demonstrates long-term planning and discipline, an essential protection for taxpayers against future economic volatility,” he wrote in his memo. “I further recommend that a healthy portion of all future revenue returned by the county’s tax collector be allocated toward the continued strengthening of our reserves.”
Yeah, that’s a nice plan. But can we feed people first? The current budget slashes subsidized meals for the elderly.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
“Equally important is the partial restoration of funding to community organizations, parks, and cultural programs. These services are not merely amenities,” Rodriguez said. “They are lifelines that uplift our neighborhoods, strengthen our community, and preserve the unique cultural fabric of Miami-Dade.”
Again, súper good ideas — when the county is flush. Right now, the current budget would shut down two senior activity centers. Maybe keeping those open should come before we fund any festivals.
This promises to be an exciting point of discussion at the Aug. 20 meeting of the whole, where commissioners will go through the. budget with a microscope and an Exacto knife to find efficiencies and restore some of the programs and services cut.
There will also be two public hearings next month (Sept. 4 and Sept. 18) for public input where commissioners can make final changes before the 2025-26 budget gets final approval. The fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
More information on the Miami-Dade 2025-26 budget can be found on the county’s website here.
Miami–Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez did not set aside any of his $6 million surplus to help support Political Cortadito’s mission, monitor our local electeds and public officials. That’s why Ladra depends on readers like you to help keep the Fresh Colada brewing with a contribution to grassroots, government watchdog reporting. Thank you for your support!
The post Miami-Dade’s billion-dollar disconnect: Tax collector flush, county in the red appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Miami-Dade fire union has threatened legal action
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava may want to check her smoke alarms — because firefighters smell something funny rising out of the 2025-26 budget: A sneaky move to shift the estimated $30 million cost of running the countywide air rescue helicopters to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which is funded out of a different pool of tax dollars.
These are the helicopters that fly critical patients to the hospital to get them there faster and douse brushfires from the skies. And they serve every inch of the county — even the five municipalities that don’t pay a penny into the fire district: Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah and Key Biscayne. In previous budgets, the county reimbursed the fire department for air rescue out of the general fund.
But facing a $400 million deficit after the expiration of federal COVID rescue funds and the costly birth of constitutional offices — like the shiny new sheriff’s department — Levine Cava is pitching a “fair and balanced” budget that’s light on fluff, but heavy on cuts. Arts and culture grants? On the chopping block. County layoffs? Not off the table.
Air rescue helicopters? That’s on you, now, La Alcaldesa told the fire department. That it will likely cause the fire department to divert funds from other needs. And it could put lives at risk.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
International Association of Firefighters Local 1403 President William “Billy” McAllister says Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is already stretched thin, needing more trucks and more boots on the ground to serve the ever-sprawling western frontier of the county. Response times are suffering. Density and traffic are clogging up everything — and now, they say, the mayor wants to defund the rescue squad in the middle of a slow-motion emergency.
This could mean less firefighters on duty and less trucks on the street. “The goal was to open four units this year,” McAllister told Political Cortadito, adding that they have trucks sitting out of service. “With this, it will be zero.”
He understands that there’s a huge hole in the budget that would be bigger — $430 million — if the county were to take responsibility for air rescue again. But this is going to have a ripple effect across all fire rescue services, McAllister said.
“We’re at a crossroads right now in Miami-Dade County,” he warned. “They are obligating us to carry a portion of their shortfall and disallowing us from increasing service.”
McAllister told Ladra that the budget cut comes as a surprise, again, at the last minute. “The reaction has been one of stalling to try to figure out what to do,” he said, adding that it’s typical of the administration to “run the clock” on something and try not to meet on it.
McAllister almost wasn’t allowed to speak at one of the public town halls the mayor had last week throughout the county. He was told that because he spoke at the public meeting in Westchester Monday, he couldn’t speak at the one in South Dade Wednesday. He eventually did get to speak after telling county staff that the audience was a different group of people.
So the union hired Holland & Knight to prepare a legal challenge — and speak for them. The firefighters are lawyered up.

Love letter from McAllister, President, Metro‑Dade Firefighters Union Local 1403, to Mayor Levine Cava:
“Dear Alcaldesa, we’re putting you on notice: This budget proposal is dangerously short‑sighted.
By forcing Miami‑Dade Fire Rescue to fully fund the county’s air rescue helicopters, you’re sacrificing public safety on the altar of accounting gymnastics. This financial gambit doesn’t just threaten our ability to serve — it actively jeopardizes lives. We intend to hold you and the county accountable.
Our lawyers at Holland & Knight are standing by.”
Love, Billy

Okay, so that’s how Ladra might have said it. Lawyer Miguel De Grandy (who f-ed up the city of Miami redistricting and, well, did it have to be him?) put it differently in his 5-page warning to the mayor.
“This inappropriate and illegal transfer of funding obligations will result in placing an undue, unfair and ultimately damaging burden on the district,” De Grandy wrote. “The proposed additional shift in the funding of the debt service for purchased equipment (namely, fire rescue helicopters) is clearly contrary to the representations and the pledges made in the commission resolution approving the issuance of bonds to purchase this equipment.”
In other words: You bought it, you pay for it.
Read related: Gov. Ron DeSantis sends Florida DOGE squad to sniff out Miami-Dade budget
In 2020, Miami Dade Fire Rescue replaced its aging fleet of helicopters with four new ones, borrowing $70 million to repay over 20 years. The county had previously agreed to contribute to the payment of these costs, but now, that funding has been diverted to offset the budget shortfall. McAllister said that 4 or 5 million of the $28 to $30 million in costs go to debt service for the helicopters. The rest is for operational costs.
Levine Cava issued a statement last week defending her decision because, hey, it isn’t the first time the county slashes its contribution to the fire district. Last year, the county cut $18 million from the funds it provides to the pay for air rescue services,
“Public safety, including fire rescue, remains my top priority as mayor. Regarding the air rescue fund, these costs were moved to the fire budget in the current fiscal year (24-25),” the mayor said in her statement. “It is important to stress that this change had no impact on vital fire rescue services or public safety, and the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year continues to increase funding for Miami Dade Fire Rescue as we have done every year.”
In other words, you get what you get and you don’t get upset. This is nothing new. And you won’t feel a thing.
¡Ay, por favor! The mayor “moved” the cost of air rescue into the Fire District budget last year and now she is patting herself on the back for “increasing” fire funding — when in reality, you just shifted the tab to the 29 municipalities that pay into the district. The helicopters still serve everyone, including the cities that don’t chip in a dime because they opted out of the Fire District and have their own fire rescue departments.
“Ironically, wealthier cities like Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Miami Beach that opted out of the district would now obtain Air Rescue services at nearly no cost, while several other cities with a significant percentage of residents at or below the poverty line, like Sweetwater and Florida City, pay an inequitably higher cost for these countywide services,” De Grandy wrote.
It smells like the mayor is balancing the budget on the backs of firefighters and taxpayers — and calling it an “increase.” Meanwhile, the FIFA World Cup hosting committee is still getting $46 million to spread among themselves.
Read related: Buyer’s remorse: Kionne McGhee wants refund on $46M to FIFA World Cup
De Grandy also reminded Levine Cava that commissioners said last year that they didn’t want to this be an eternal flame burning away the fire department’s reserves. In other words: Fix this before next year.
“I feel like they are being punished for good bookkeeping,” Commissioner Raquel Regalado said last September of the fire department. Ladra is sure Regalado is going to have a lot to say at the Aug. 20 committee of the whole meeting — which is another way to say special commission meeting — which was her idea in the first place. This one is going to be really special.
The county’s $12 billion budget won’t be finalized until after that meeting — where commissioners aim to tweak and snip at inefficiencies to replace proposed cuts and fee hikes —  and two public hearings in September. The new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.

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Rosie Cordero-Stutz says she inherited rising costs
The newly-elected Miami-Dade sheriff is not happy about the dollar amount that Mayor Daniella Levine Cava‘s proposed budget sets aside for her new, constitutional office and has sounded the alarm in recent days, warning that proposed cuts could leave the sheriff’s office disarmed and dangerously under-resourced at a time when public safety concerns are rising like the summer heat.
Sheriff Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz put in a request for fiscal year 2025-26 for a hefty $936 million — nearly $94 million more than what was budgeted when it was the Miami-Dade Police Department last year. According to a sheriff’s spokesperson, Levine Cava allocated $50.4 million, leaving a significant shortfall of $43.4 million.
Cordero-Stutz says it’s not for new bling. She needs more in order to keep 911 response times from rising and fill up to 200 vacancies.
“Make no mistake,”the sheriff wrote in a sharply-worded plea disguised as an “open letter” published in Community Newspapers. “A reduction of this magnitude puts the safety of our entire community at risk.
“The proposed budget reductions for public safety threaten to undermine the very foundation of our operations. These cuts will force us to reduce the number of sworn deputies and hinder recruitment at a time when demand for service continues to rise.”
At the county commission meeting last week where they approved a flat tax rate for next year and a budget that currently reflects a $402 million shortfall countywide, the sheriff warned the board about the consequences and “respectfully asked” for her full budget.
“Anything less is defunding the police,” Cordero-Stutz said.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
The funding is not for shiny new toys or some bloated cop wish list. Well, not her wish list. More than two thirds of the increase ($64M) is just to honor existing contracts the county signed before the sheriff’s office even officially existed, Cordero-Stutz says.
In other words: It’s the county’s tab. And now they’re sticking her with the bill.
So, when voters decided in 2020 to bring back the elected sheriff — and 57% of Miami-Dade voters said yes — the county’s reaction was to go on a spending spree? Of course, the handoff is now coming with strings attached and unfunded promises.
One example Cordero-Stutz cited are the collective bargaining agreements the commission approved in 2023, which locked in raises, cots of living hikes for retirees and training incentives, among other things.
There were also zero academy classes this year because of budget shortfalls, Cordero-Stutz explained. That means no new recruits. “As a result, we are currently carrying more than 200 vacant sworn positions, as of July 15th, with more expected by year’s end,” Cordero-Stutz wrote.
That means whole areas — like Kendall, which has just 180 deputies to cover 42 square miles and over 80,000 residents — are left stretched ‘very thin,’ just like we like our Serrano ham sliced at Publix.
With the next potential field of recruits not coming in until mid-2026, “we face a serious staffing gap that impacts service and safety,” Cordero-Stutz wrote. Her proposed budget is focused on filling all existing vacancies. The request also includes 54 new civilian positions. Not because she’s building an empire — but because decades of backlogged staffing have left critical operations understaffed and overworked.
“Full staffing is essential to enhance public safety, improve response times, strengthen investigations, and support the well-being of our deputies,” she wrote.
With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon and cyber threats lurking behind every login, is this really the moment to penny-pinch public safety?
Read related: Miami-Dade could cut back services, give millions to FIFA for World Cup
Apparently, that’s a question the county commission will have to grapple with. Last week, after some debate, they approved the mayor’s proposal for a flat tax rate, which means that property owners will pay more taxes, but only because property values increased. To pay the same amount of taxes, the county would have had to adopt a “rollback” rate, and they didn’t do that. Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez was the only one who voted against the budget because he said residents needed and deserved a break.
It also means that commissioners will have a lot of work to do before the budget is finalized after two hearings in September to find the funding for the sheriff’s office needs within the existing revenue parameters.
Levine Cava said in a press conference last week that the county had increased spending on public safety by 8% each year while she has been the mayor.”Today, we are facing a new and difficult fiscal reality,” she said, placing much of the responsibility for the $402 million countywide shortfall on the rollout of the five new constitutional offices.
But the sheriff isn’t taking the blame sitting down.
“Let me be clear,” she says. “I am not asking for enhancements. I am asking the board to fund a budget that meets the financial obligations made before the Sheriff’s Office even came into existence—and allows us to continue protecting this great county to the best of our ability.
“Every dollar in this proposed budget is directed toward one goal: keeping the people of Miami-Dade County safe,” Cordero-Stutz says. “These investments are not about expanding government — they’re about ensuring we have the trained personnel, resources, and infrastructure required to meet the challenges of modern law enforcement and deliver the high-quality service our residents expect and deserve.”
In other words: She’s just trying to pay the bill someone else racked up, keep the lights on, and maybe — just maybe — run an academy class or two so she doesn’t have to answer emergency calls with an empty bench.
So, Miami-Dade voters got their brand-new sheriff. But what else did we get? A bill due that isn’t funded, a public safety system teetering between ‘responsive’ and ‘underwater’ — and a county mayor and commission that has a little more than two months to decide whether it wants to back the badge or balance the budget on it.
“At the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO), our mission is clear: to protect and serve this community with integrity, dedication and compassion,” Cordero-Stutz wrote. “From the 911 call takers who answer your most urgent cries for help, to the deputies on the streets, from our Cyber Crimes Bureau tracking digital threats, and to our Strategic Response Team handling the most high-risk situations — we show up, every single day, committed to keeping this community safe.”
Well, as long someone pays the bill.

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The post Miami-Dade Sheriff to county leaders: Budget cuts handcuff public safety appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Meanwhile FIFA still gets $46M from taxpayers
Say goodbye to addiction outreach teams, and hello to more overdoses and addicts, if Miami-Dade commissioners approve the 2025-2026 budget proposed this week by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. It proposes a number of cuts to fill the $402 million budget shortfall that the county is facing now that all our federal COVID cash has dried up.
Abuelito‘s subsidized lunch? No más, as three food programs for seniors are on the chopping block. Two senior day care centers — one in Little River and one in South Dade — could be closed.
Also, everybody may have to pay $5 to park at Tropical Park or A.D. Barnes Park. And if you go to a public county pool, well, swim at your own risk or take your own personal lifeguard. But mosquitos and rats will get their time to shine as the county cuts down on landscaping in public areas.
And there are about $40 million in cuts to non-profit grants, some of which may be justified but others that will definitely affect safety nets for thousands of people who live and work in Miami-Dade and fall through the government cracks.
Meanwhile, FIFA still gets $46 million from the taxpayers in cash and in-kind services for their World Cup. Because, you know, priorities.
Read related: Miami-Dade could cut back services, give millions to FIFA for World Cup
Subsidies for billion dollar brands and “economic incentives” do not seem to be as expendable as park programming or, say. senior meals when it comes to the recommended cuts to the $402 million budget shortfall that the county is facing now that all our federal COVID cash has dried up.
The proposed budget “reflects the needs of our community, with responsible, accountable fiscal leadership,” Levine Cava said, with a straight face, in a press conference at County Hall Tuesday that looked more like a funeral. She was flanked by her bloated cabinet of chiefs of this and that, including Public Safety Chief James Reyes — who is doing what, exactly, now that we have a sheriff? — and Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales, who was hiding behind the sign language interpreter in the corner.
None of them looked very happy.
It seems they should be smiling more if they are really “building a stronger, more secure Miami-Dade for tomorrow and delivering essential services, spending every single taxpayer dollar efficiently and being accountable to the residents we serve,” as Levine Cava said.
The mayor bragged long-delayed improvements made to Miami International Airport — which still has a long way to go (more on that later) — increased investments in law enforcement and the public transit system, residential and business assistance programs and a spike in the county’s bond rating, which saves more than $500 million over the life of the bonds. She also said these investments made Miami-Dade “one of fastest recovering economies in the country” after the pandemic.
Levine Cava thanked the commission for two consecutive years of decreases in the county’s millage, or tax rate, bringing it to its lowest since 1982, and “easing the burden for many families in our community who are struggling to help ends meet.”
“But today, we are facing a new and difficult fiscal reality,” Levine Cava said. “This budget year brings extraordinary challenges.”
This year’s proposed flat rate will mean that almost everybody pays higher taxes due to increased property values (more on that later).
La Alcaldesa laid the blame for nearly half of the shortfall on the five constitutional offices for the elected county sheriff, supervisor of elections, clerk, property appraiser and tax collector, which are now separate entities, the result of a “mandate,” which is what she called the state charter amendment that was passed by 58% of county voters in 2018.
“The expansion of essentially one county government into six has come at a great cost,” Levine Cava said.
She also said that there has been an increase in the demand for services as well as in the cost of goods and services that affect the government just like it affects families. This has created what she called “the perfect storm.” And like any household, the county has had to tighten its belt, “making sure that every single taxpayer cent is spent” wisely.
Read related: Miami-Dade elected officials say they went to Panama on their own dime
Departments have cut their budgets between 10 and 35 percent, Levine Cava said, adding that some would merge to streamline services, combine functions and create savings while maintaining services. Some park programming would be sacrificed and grants to nonprofits, which has become a controversial process recently, are also going to be “scaled back,” she said.
While Metro Connect — an on-demand, shared-ride service designed to fill the “first mile, last mile” gap in public transportation — will also be scaled back, there are no proposed cuts to Metro Rail, Metro Mover and Metro Bus. In fact, the county expects to launch the South Dade Bus Rapid Transit line later this year. Seniors can also continue to get their Golden Passport for free, which allows them to ride for free.
Maybe they can go get something to eat.
“We did everything possible to protect essential services and employees,” Levine Cava said. Really? Ladra knows where you can find $46 million.
Miami-Dade Commissioners seemed surprised by the proposed budget at Wednesday’s meeting, where they were tasked with setting the tax rate. But each of them have met with the mayor or someone from her office. Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez said said he met with Levine Cava weekly on the budget and that she told him more than once that “she’s lost a lot of sleep” over it. “As have I,” Rodriguez said.
So, they knew this was coming. It’s not a surprise. Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez issued a statement that said the county commission had misplaced the blame.
“Miami-Dade County had seven full years to prepare for this transition—to plan, budget, and make sure everything was ready. But they failed to act,” Fernandez said, referring to the lack of preparation following the voter-mandated transition to constitutional offices in 2018, which was approved by 58% of the voters in Miami-Dade.
“Miami-Dade County does not have a revenue problem,” said Fernandez, a Republican. “It has a spending problem.”
The county commission was also split pretty much along partisan lines: Republicans like Roberto Gonzalez are suddenly fiscal hawks, accusing the mayor of being too generous with other people’s money. This is rich, coming from the guy who spent $1 million of other people’s money getting a second district office because the first one didn’t meet his standards.
Read related: Miami-Dade taxpayers fund $1 mil move for Commissioner Rob Gonzalez
Commissioner Raquel Regalado called the proposed budget a “work in progress” and wanted the commission to cut the tax rate by the tiniest percentage, again. It’s just a habit with her. She does it every year.
“I understand that this is a painful year,” Regalado said, agreeing with the tax collector on the constitutional offices. “We started talking about the impact of the constitutional offices five years ago. And three years ago we established a fund and started talking about what we needed to put away.”
She suggested that the commission have an appropriations committee meeting in August “to go line by line” and find more places to cut. “I don’t think this is a budget we can leave until the week before the budget hearing.
“This is not a year when we can just disagree with the mayor’s recommendation,” Regalado added. “This is a year where we have to provide alternatives to her.
“This year and next year are going to be very different and we’ve known that for a very, very, very long time. We either have to reduce services or we have to reduce growth.”
Newly-appointed Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis agreed that the tax rate should go down. “The proposal as it stands today, asks working families to pay more while getting less,” she said, adding that she was concerned about landscaping cuts leading to illegal dumping and the increased park fees.
“That’s one of the free and safe places families can go and spend time together,” Milian Orbis said.”Our budget reflects our values and this one right now sends the wrong message.”
Commissioner Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez said he would also make himself available to find efficiencies but he didn’t want to shrink the tax rate just a tad to save few dollars at the expense of more service cuts.
“If we are going to lower it to be the equivalent of a Happy Meal at McDonald’s for our residents and hurt the services provided to the residents of  Miami-Dade County, that smacks to me of politics, it doesn’t smack to me of practicality,” Bermudez said.
Commissioner Senator Rene Garcia agreed with a special meeting to try to lower the flat rate and that the timing was perfect for it. “It’s important for all of us to really take a deep dive and find savings,” he said.
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But Wednesday’s meeting was eight hours long. How long will a line-by-line review of the budget take? Ladra would guess around three days..
The Democrats on the dais were already shocked at the cuts that are already proposed and are unlikely to support more “adjustments” to services. Commissioner Marleine Bastien called it “a budget without soul.” Commissioner Kionne McGhee said “working families are left out.”
Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, who still doesn’t realize he is no longer the chair, urged the commission to pass the flat rate because they can always reduce it later. They can’t increase it. He said he feared that “base services” like transportation and parks would be hit harder if any more cuts were needed.
“When people talk about austerity and talk about ‘tighten your belt,’ it’s figurative. They’re saying it, but they’re not actually literal. This isn’t one of the talk shows like MSNBC or CNN or FOX. This isn’t any radio show. This isn’t a newspaper. This isn’t a speech in congress. This isn’t a speech in Tallahassee.”
No, but apparently it is a speech at Miami-Dade Government Center.
Gilbert said he was willing to meet in August to work on reductions. “But I think it’s prudent for us to make sure we can at least staff and fund the government at this level,” he said. “When we take in less money, we have to provide fewer services. when we provide those fewer services, typically that accompanies layoffs.”
La Alcaldesa insists she is cutting where she can without eliminating bus routes, firing employees or closing entire parks — yet.
“They were all very hard choices, but they were the right choices,” she told commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting, asking them not to cut the tax rate. “Making any millage cuts now when we have prepared a far balanced budget despite unprecendedn financial restraints would be fiscally irresponsible and would only cause residents to experience deeper service adjustments.”
Meanwhile, residents are left asking why abuelito can’t get his meals delivered but we’re still footing the bill for international soccer.
There will have a chance to ask at two public budget hearings, Sept. 4 and Sept. 18. The appropriations committee when commissioners go line by line, with one of those combs for lice, to find more savings will likely be Aug. 20. Regalado wanted to have it sooner but the mayor said she won’t be here.
Find more information about the 2025-26 budget and the budget process here.
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With no discussion or debate Tuesday, the Miami-Dade Commission approved the spending of more than $41 million for a new fleet of vehicles this year. Only Commissioners Micky Steinberg and Rene Garcia voted against it.
The rest of the commission voted to approve the purchase of 580 vehicles.
Miami-Dade County considers a vehicle ready for replacement it’s either 10 years old or has over 100,000 miles on it. Departments are supposed to look for replacements that could be “reallocated” from within the county’s inventory first.
“Repair history, age and mileage are also reviewed to ensure that replacement is more economical than repairing and maintaining a vehicle that is past its life cycle. Maintaining vehicles over 10+ years and/or over 100,000 miles can generate average annual maintenance costs in excess of $3,000 for light vehicles and $17,700 for heavy vehicles when compared to newer vehicles which are under manufacturer’s warranty for major repairs.”
Okay. But that means that if all 580 cars being replaced need maintenance at the heavy vehicle cost, it would still only be $10.2 million, instead of $41 million.
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“The vehicles requested will be used to support various essential operations that service the Miami-Dade County community, to include water distribution and processing, police operations support and training, materials management, building and facility maintenance, community outreach programs, zoning enforcement and other related operational support activities that provide countywide services. The requested allocation will be used by departments as follows:

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