Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins might be serious about her bid to run for Miami Mayor this November, after all, which could be why she went out of her way to get former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, another candidate in the crowded race, basically fired from his day job as the lobbyist for the Sierra Club’s Florida chapter..
Russell actually resigned last month, but only because Higgins told the members of the environmental group that she would not meet with them as long as he was part of the team. Or, rather, that she would meet with them — “as soon as you get rid of Ken Russell.”
The organization didn’t accept his resignation. But they also didn’t renew their contract with Russell’s firm, Arquest Partners, which he formed 18 months ago.
Read related: Miami-Dade garbage incinerator talks look more like a stinky dumpster fire
“I’m reaching out to offer to step down early from my current engagement, if doing so would help preserve the Sierra Club’s ability to engage fully and effectively with key elected officials,” Russell wrote in the July 21 note to Cris Costello, the senior organizing manager. The email was also copied to Marcelo Balladares, organizing representative for The Everglades, Noel Cleland, vice president of the political committee, and Steven Liedner, vice chair of conservation.
“As mentioned on our call, today Steven shared that Commissioner Higgins told him she is not willing to meet with the Sierra Club while I remain involved,” Russell wrote in his letter. “Given the urgency of the work ahead, including efforts to stop the incinerator, protect the Everglades, and to promote a strong composting ordinance, I want to ensure that my involvement does not become an obstacle to your advocacy or strategy.
“There are only a couple weeks left on my current contract, and we have not yet discussed any potential for renewal. More importantly, I remain committed to the success of the campaign so disengaging might be best. I would prorate my final invoice which would provide a savings for Sierra Club as well,” the ex commissioner and onetime congressional candidate wrote, adding that he felt privileged to have worked with the “advancing environmental priorities with real impact.”
Russell has been working with the Sierra Club for almost a year. He was hired to provide a new model on how to lobby for initiatives and write simple legislation. He has spoken at several commission meetings, including in Miami on the controversial tree ordinance. He helped the Florida chapter get several cities, including Coral Gables and Miami, to pass resolutions against having an incinerator. He tried, but failed, to get the county to reject the incinerator and opt for other alternatives.
Read related: Miami tree removal ordinance changes unnecessary and tainted by lobbyists
“And when I am elected mayor, my first resolution will be that none of our garbage will go to an incinerator,” Russell said.
Higgins, who will have to resign her seat on the county commission by Aug. 26 to run in the Nov. 4 mayoral race, did not return calls and texts from Ladra. She never does. But she voted yes last month to build a new incinerator — calling it a “waste to energy facility” but it’s the same thing — with the rest of the county commission, somewhere. They just couldn’t decide on where.
Russell told Political Cortadito this week that he was surprised by Higgins’ abusive actions — denying access unless he was canned — but didn’t give his resignation a second thought.
“I’m supposed to be here to help, and if the politics are going to get in the way of that, well then its of no use,” Russell said.
There’s a stark difference: One candidate is offering to sacrifice the thickness of his wallet for the wellbeing of all — going so far as to offer a partial refund — and the other candidate is shaking down a non-profit environmental group for the friends it keeps. This is a huge abuse of power and not a good sign for someone who wants to be the top elected in Miami-Dade’s largest city.
Voters should remember this on Election Day.
Help Ladra keep a spotlight on the Miami mayoral election with a contribution today to Political Cortadito and support grassroots, independent watchdog journalism. Thank you for reading!
The post Eileen Higgins pressures Sierra Club and Ken Russell resigns as lobbyist appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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It looks like Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is backpedaling on his decision to move the city’s election from odd- to even-numbered years just because he wants to and is now suddenly saying that the public should vote on it after all.
What a concept!
At their next meeting Tuesday, city commissioners will again discuss changing the municipal election date to coincide with state and national races. But this time, there seems to be a consensus on taking it to a public referendum.
Don’t get too cozy, though. They’re still not on the same page. Nobody is singing Kumbaya.
Lago, who pushed hard for the change with no voter approval, wants the charter amendment to be on the ballot in a special vote-by-mail only election in April of next year. Commissioner Melissa Castro — who has advocated for a public vote all along — wants to have it in April of 2027. Because in the City Beautiful, even scheduling an election can turn into a political brawl.
Read related: Coral Gables: Melissa Castro shut down again on election change challenge
By having it next April, L’Ego hopes that, if voters pass the change, he can still move the next election to November of 2026 and get rid of Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez five months early. Some opponents fear that the move will also help him wiggle out of term limits, offering him another term because one of his will be interrupted. But having it coincide with the next municipal election in April means that it could take effect on the same candidates who would be elected that month, once again disenfranchising voters who won’t know when they vote if they are putting people in office for four years, or if it’s going to be give or take a few months.
The perfect solution would be to have this election change referendum on the November ballot in 2026, where the city already has questions on the establishment of an inspector general and limiting the way the city can spend its reserves. That way, voters will know when they vote in April of 2027 just how long their commissioners will serve.
Plus, if Lago’s arguments are legit, and this is truly just about cost and turnout, then November of 2026 — even April of 2027 — makes more sense than a mail-in ballot only question in April of next year, which would still cost the city extra and draw very little interest because there is nothing else to decide.
Either way, the commission on Tuesday would also have to rescind their earlier resolution from May that changed nearly 100 years of city elections, moving them to November even-numbered years beginning in 2026 — shortening everyone’s terms by five months — which is another meeting agenda item sponsored by Castro. This is the same commissioner who was censured by her colleagues in July for having the guts to write Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for an opinion on the matter. He has already said Miami’s move violated both the city’s charter and the county’s home rule charter.
So have four judges so far.
This change in direction for Lago comes right on the heels of that court smackdown in Miami, where a county judge ruled that those city commissioners couldn’t unilaterally move election dates without a public vote. And then a three-judge panel upheld that on appeal. There is no way this sudden willingness by Lago to let the people decide is a coincidence.
“I think he knows where this is heading,” Castro told Political Cortadito. Translation: The legal winds spooked him. He’s just trying to get ahead of the inevitable and avoid another courtroom embarrassment like the one Miami commissioners just suffered. Because, according to the language in Lago’s resolution, the city knows it had no choice.
“Pursuant to section 6.03 of the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter, as well as the City Charter and Chapter 18 of the City Code, the City Commission is authorized to submit ballot questions to the electors of the City for approval or rejection of proposed amendments to the City Charter,” says one of the whereases.
Notice it does not say that the city commission is authorized to change the election date without the approval of the electorate. So, they know. Ladra would venture to say they knew all along.
Read related: Third DCA strikes down Miami election change; November ballot is on
There are solid arguments on both sides. Moving the election to November in even-numbered years saves the city close to $250,000 per election cycle. And trends nationwide show that ordinary residents, especially young voters and people of color, have more power when local races ride shotgun with high-turnout elections. Voter participation in the Gables in April ranges from 20% to 30% and can soar to over 80% in November.
But opponents say there are good reasons to keep the elections separate from state and national races, which are partisan and can be highly contentious. They eat up the bandwidth, including air time, which becomes much more expensive for local candidates and issues. Furthermore, critics argue that a higher quantity of voters does not equal a higher quality of candidates because many voters will not have any idea about local politics and will be moved by whoever has the most money.
This isn’t just about dates. It’s about who gets to be heard — and who gets left behind.
What’s clear is this: the commission may pass something Tuesday. With Lago’s sudden turnaround, there will be at least three votes to put this on the ballot for voters to decide. Ladra fully expects the echo chamber — Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara — to follow along as usual.
Then the real fight moves to the ballot box. And Coral Gables voters, not judges or politicians, will likely have the final word on when they get to vote for mayor and commissioners.
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Miami’s political consultants are going to be de luto.
President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he’s drafting an executive order — all by himself, of course — to ban absentee ballots and mail-in ballots before the 2026 midterms. Because, claro, nothing screams democracy like one guy deciding how 150 million people should vote.
But anybody who’s been around Miami-Dade politics longer than five minutes knows absentee ballots are the OG battlefield. Trump didn’t invent this paranoia. And there are plenty of people in the 305 who are crying in their cafecito and doing Santeria rituals right now to try to stop the president from doing this.
Absentee ballots here are as much a part of elections as pastelitos and senior housing. Who can forget the 1997 Miami mayor’s race that got tossed because of dead voters and ballots from outside the city limits? Or Sergio“El Tío” Robaina — uncle to ex-Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina — who was famously caught up in the absentee game of the 2012 election and was charged with several felonies, including tampering with the ballot of a voter who had dementia. Or Anamary Pedrosa, an aide to then Miami-Dade Esteban Bovo was caught with 165 ABs in the trunk of her car at Bovo’s district office. Or Deisy Cabrera, who police said handled at least 31 ballots.
All of them made plea deals — which kept the elected officials they were working for safe.
Congressman Carlos Gimenez was running for re-election as Miami-Dade mayor in 2012 when his Hialeah campaign office was caught up in this absentee ballot fraud operation. After he won, Gimenez dismantled the public corruption squad at the county’s police department that had found the AB fraud.
Longtime political consultant Sasha Tirador, the absentee ballot queen who’s worked both sides of the aisle, built her whole reputation on delivering votes before the polls even opened. And there’s a whole rogues gallery of boleteros and boleteras — campaign operatives “helping” abuelitos at the senior centers — who turned absentee ballot harvesting into an art form. And a lucrative business.
Candidates knew the score. They budgeted for it: palm cards, T-shirts, radio ads — and the boletera network.
And now here comes Trump, pretending he’s discovered the problem, saying the states are just “agents” of the federal government and must do what the el presidente says. Somebody should hand him a copy of the Constitution. Spoiler: He doesn’t have that power. Not even close. Legal experts are already lining up to call this EO what it is: a pipe dream.
Read related: More than half a mil Miami-Dade vote-by-mail, absentee ballots favor Dems
The irony? Florida Republicans, the same party that kisses Trump’s ring, perfected the absentee ballot game. They used them for years to lock in older Cuban voters from their recliners — or their hospice beds. Trump himself mailed in his vote from Palm Beach. But now, because Democrats leaned more on mail ballots during the pandemic, suddenly they’re a communist plot.
Even Vladimir Putin, Trump says, “agrees” with him on ending mail-in voting. Which should tell you everything. Is that where he got the idea? Alaska?
Look, Ladra isn’t here to defend the absentee ballot hustle. Too many elections have been tainted by it — from Hialeah to Sweetwater to Homestead — to call it “clean.” June’s special election in Miami’s District 4 has been marked by allegations that ABs were signed after senior voters were threatened that they would lose services. It’s supposed to be under investigation.
But let’s be real: Trump’s order isn’t about protecting democracy. It’s about kneecapping Democrats while giving his boleteras in Westchester, Allapattah and La Saguesera a nostalgic hug.
And if Miami’s long history teaches us anything, banning absentee ballots won’t kill fraud. It will just force the players — Sasha, Tío Robaina’s spiritual heirs, and the rest of the absentee mafia — to find a new hustle.
Because in Miami, where there are votes, there’s always alguien trying to hustle them.
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The Republican Party of Florida just got a lesson in trademark law — and maybe in taste, too.
Over the weekend, the RPOF quietly yanked a line of deportation-themed merch from its website after someone apparently realized that ripping off The Home Depot’s iconic orange logo might not be the best idea. The shirts, hats, and assorted tchotchkes were branded “The Deport Depot” — a nod to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest immigration stunt: a new detention center in Sanderson Florida, that he proudly dubbed the “Deportation Depot.”
Subtlety clearly wasn’t on his mind.
Read related: Daniella Levine Cava finally takes a tougher stand vs Alligator Alcatraz
The merch mimicked The Home Depot’s extremely recognizable branding so closely — same orange box, same stenciled font — that it looked like a MAGA makeover of aisle 12. But The Home Depot wasn’t having it. Spokesperson Beth Marlowe confirmed last week that the company had not approved the use of its logo and was “reaching out” to the RPOF to resolve the issue.
Translation: Cease and desist, folks.
Saturday afternoon, the items were still up for sale, priced between $15 and $28, with proceeds going straight into the party’s coffers as political contributions. But by Sunday, the merch — and the party’s proud post on X — vanished faster than a campaign promise after election day.
Party chair Evan Power didn’t respond to requests for comment (shocker), but on Friday, before The Home Depot weighed in, he insisted the design was legally sound. “No reasonable person would think it’s the logo of a company,” said Power, who is clearly color blind or something.
And nothing says “reasonable” like using the corporate logo of a hardware store frequented by undocumented immigrants — who flock to the parking lot for day jobs — to promote a detention center and mass deportation effort.
Read related: Independent medical access must be given to detainees at Alligator Alcatraz
This isn’t the first time the RPOF has tried to cash in on DeSantis’ cruel immigration antics. When the governor unveiled, Alligator Alcatraz, the party rolled out a matching line of swamp-themed swag. Those are still for sale and $30 gets you a heather gray or charcoal jersey t-shirt.
Because this isn’t just a cruel immigration policy. It’s a revenue stream.
But this time, they messed with the wrong brand. The Home Depot has long been a flashpoint in immigration politics, with ICE agents targeting day laborers outside its stores. Raids have been particularly acute in California, where tensions boiled over in June after immigration agents reportedly chased people outside a Los Angeles store, sparking neighborhood protests. Just this past Thursday, a man was struck and killed by a vehicle while fleeing immigration agents at a Home Depot in Southern California.
The company has been criticized from all sides for largely staying out of the issue. “We aren’t notified that ICE activities are going to happen, and we aren’t involved in them,” Marlowe said.
Still, the optics are brutal. And now the RPOF has tried to turn that trauma into a punchline — and a profit. Perhaps the Gulf of America beach towels at $35 ain’t selling as much as everyone thought they would.
Maybe the Florida GOP should leave the immigrant-bashing out of their fundraising strategy altogether.
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Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago and Actualidad 1040 AM have officially kissed and made up — or at least signed on the dotted line — in that defamation lawsuit Vinnie filed last year over comments made on the Spanish-language “Contacto Directo” morning radio show in 2023 about an investigation of a possible conflict of interest in the aggressive plan to annex Little Gables.
After two years of back and forth — trying to get the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust to disclose the anonymous sources of the complaint, serving subpoenas on union leaders, commissioners and journalists — it’s suddenly all over. This is the same case where yours truly was subpoenaed as a witness, so Ladra is, frankly, a little disappointed that she won’t get to continue to fight. Also, it was a losing case so it would have been nice to see L’Ego eat a little humble pie.
It’s all a little anticlimactic.
Read related: Judge in Vince Lago’s ‘defamation’ lawsuit suddenly recuses himself
The settlement comes two months after the previous judge recused himself and the new judge made it clear he wasn’t going to play games. Circuit Court Judge Javier Enriquez seemed to think this had taken too long already and wanted to get the case resolved. Then, he delivered three strikes to L’Ego’s legal team last month when they were told the mayor had to sit down for at least two hours for another deposition — in a scenario with a mediator where he would be forced to actually answer questions — that the subpoena for McClatchy, publisher of the Miami Herald, was successfully quashed and that the complainants’ identity did not have to be disclosed because they had whistleblower protection.
This last blow is why Lago really decided to give up. It was a hunt for the complainants all along. And it was probably costing him a dandy dime. According to City Attorney Christina Suarez, the city is not paying the mayor’s legal bills on the Actualidad case.
Let’s rewind: Back in February of 2023, veteran journalist and Contacto Directo host Roberto Rodríguez Tejera and then–Coral Gables commission candidate Ariel Fernandez (who was elected two months later) told listeners that Lago was under an ethics investigation for a possible conflict of interest involving a trailer park, an annexation fight and his brother, the lobbyist.
Lago took issue with the word investigation because, well, the investigation was technically called a “matter under initial review.” That’s internal agency jargon that uses three more words than it needs to. Because a preliminary investigation is still an investigation. Sparked by an anonymous complaint, it was treated the same as an investigation. It was assigned an investigator, his official title, who investigated the claims by looking at records and interviewing people, same as in any other investigation. Six months later, the ethics commission decided it wasn’t “legally sufficient” to go forward and closed the case. A case they had open because it was being, you know, investigated.
Lago said the wording “deliberately fabricated the narrative” to smear him. Actualidad’s lawyers countered that, even if the phrasing wasn’t “perfectly or technically accurate,” the “gist” was true enough for talk radio.
The complaint said Lago flat-out lied in a sworn affidavit — dramatically signed at a live public commission meeting — when he claimed neither he nor his immediate family had any business interest in Little Gables. Because everybody knows his brother, Carlos Lago, was registered to lobby for Titan Development — the owner of the Little Gables trailer park, the largest piece of property in the unincorporated Miami-Dade enclave. He was registered in the city of Miami, however. Maybe because Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is Lyin’ Lago’s BFF.
Carlos Lago’s lobbyist registration, first filed in 2014, stayed active all the way until March of 2023, six days after the Actualidad segment aired. Probably because the Actualidad segment aired. So he has spent almost 10 years without doing any work for Titan? Please. Besides, in Miami-Dade, once you’re in, you’re in. Being a “consultant” doesn’t require any registration paperwork. It doesn’t erase ties. It just makes it easier to pretend they aren’t there.
The radio segment was about the very real investigation, prompted by three complainants, into whether Lago violated the truth in government provisions of the ethics code, not just whether or not he had a conflict of interest.
Read related: Vince Lago revenge tour includes witch hunt for critics, confidential sources
According to a report filed with the court Aug. 8, Lago and Actualidad entered into a settlement through JAMS mediator Joseph P. Fariñas, who happens to be a retired chief judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit, having served in the position for 14 years. So, he knows what he’s doing.
The terms of the settlement are confidential. Florida Politics reported sources quoting a six figure payout. But Ladra doubts that. Actualidad had no reason to pay him when Lago was on a losing streak. He had no case and Enriquez saw right through that. No, Ladra bets it has something to do with Lago not wanting to have to pay Actualidad’s legal costs once he lost. So he cut his losses.
Lago did not return calls and texts from Ladra. He never does. He feels free enough to subpoena me for no good reason (read: intimidation) but can’t bother to return a text about his attempt to silence critics and flush down the first amendment. One of his attorneys, Mason Portnoy (left), could not be reached. Two messages were left at Portnoy’s office. Actualidad’s attorney, Antonio “Tony” Castro, did not return calls and messages to his cellphone.
But the Miami Herald reported that both sides sent them a joint statement Wednesday. Talk about settling your differences.
“The parties have amicably resolved their dispute, and Mayor Lago has agreed to dismiss his lawsuit.”
Amicably? Right. So does that mean that the drama is over? Not necessarily.
Read related: Joe Carollo and staff set Ladra up to serve Vince Lago’s newest subpoena
Ladra still plans to file her first ever complaint with the same Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust against Lago and Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, and Carollo’s publicist Karen Caballero, for conspiring to trick me into a fake interview in order to serve me with a subpoena for my testimony in this case (more on that later). There was even someone waiting to record Ladra on video at the District 3 office.
He really didn’t have to go to such dramatic efforts. I’d already been served at home.
And the Miami-Dade Citizens’ Bill of Rights prohibits municipal officials and employees from knowingly furnishing false information or omitting significant facts when providing information to the public.
So now, Lago’s going to get investigated all over again. No matter what he wants to call it.
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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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