Miami Commissioners approved a $2.5 billion budget Saturday after almost zero discussion and a weekend public hearing that lasted about two hours.
They call it a $1.5 billion budget, but that’s just for operating expenses. The capital projects budget is almost another $981 mil.
If you don’t live within the city of Miami boundaries, don’t bother to care about it’s businesses or it’s residents or it’s history or it’s future. That’s what Commissioner Joe Carollo said Saturday when he dismissed a speaker at the budget hearing who was making a plea for more transparency and more sustainability funding.
First, Jeanette Ruiz, program director at the Miami Climate Alliance, thanked the commission for the Saturday hearing, which she said makes it easier for people who can’t go during the week to participate in the process. But Ruiz also said more had to be done to promote or announce the hearing.
About six hours after the first public hearing began Thursday, Miami-Dade Commissioners gave preliminary approval to the mayor’s $10 billion budget, which focuses on affordable housing, infrastructure and clean water while cutting the tax rate by 1%.
“This year we will continue rebuilding our community and economy stronger than ever by prioritizing critical investments in making Miami-Dade more affordable and livable, upgrading our infrastructure for future prosperity and resilience, helping small businesses thrive, and connecting residents to opportunity,” Mayor Daniella Levine Cava writes in her budget message.
After about six hours of emotional public commentary and discussion among the Miami-Dade School Board members, the decision was made not to recognize October as LGBTQ History Month, as they had in 2021.
A non-academic, mostly symbolic item that passed last year 7-1, failed this year 8-1, revealing a seismic shift in policy driven by the state’s sweeping swing to the far right.
It’s just a matter of when.
Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Wednesday, at a press conference about toll rebates, that he will eventually suspend Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who was charged last week with unlawful compensatio. Prosecutors allege he took $15,000 in exchange for sponsoring and writing legislation for a couple of District 11 business owners.
Three ex mayors want to get their seats back
