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Miami-Dade Mayor proposes flat millage, $402 million gap; proposes consolidations and about 350 position cuts
Summary
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on the county budget proposed a flat millage, outlined a $402 million shortfall attributed in part to new constitutional offices, and detailed department consolidations and cuts that include roughly 350 positions and proposed fee increases for some parks services.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proposed a county budget that holds the millage rate flat while closing a $402,000,000 shortfall through departmental consolidations, staffing reductions and targeted fee increases.
Levine Cava told reporters the gap is driven in part by the creation and expansion of new independent constitutional offices, declines in state and federal revenues and increased costs for services. "About half, almost half of the shortfall is attributed to the 5 constitutional offices," she said. "I am proposing a flat millage." The commission will vote on the millage this week as the first of two votes and is scheduled to approve a final budget in September, she said.
The proposal retains core services and several transportation programs while seeking savings across general-fund departments. Levine Cava said there are no proposed cuts to Metromover, Metrorail and Metrobus service; Metro Connect would be scaled back and the county plans to launch the South Dade bus rapid transit corridor later this year. She said the county will continue investments in public safety and cited an average 8% annual increase in law-enforcement funding during her administration.
To reduce overhead, the mayor proposed consolidating several departments: community action and human services would merge with juvenile services; cultural affairs would combine with libraries; and information technology would merge with communications and customer experience. Levine Cava said those consolidations and other cuts would delete "approximately 350 positions" from the budget.
The budget also reduces grants and contracts funded by one-time federal dollars and seeks new revenue from some user fees, including increased charges at certain park facilities such as golf courses and marinas, to limit deeper service cuts. Levine Cava said the Office of New Americans is included among offices being eliminated in the proposal, and that the county will continue to refer residents to community organizations that provide related services.
On the county's prior use of federal relief funds, Levine Cava defended the administration's approach, saying ARPA and other federal dollars were used primarily for one-time projects and infrastructure and that the county drew more than $1.5 billion in infrastructure grants from state and federal sources.
Levine Cava acknowledged the county has limited control over certain costs and said union contracts, the slow growth of property tax rolls and other factors constrain options. She said the county achieved improved bond ratings that will save taxpayers "over $500,000,000" over the life of the bonds.
The mayor invited public participation in the budget process and thanked commissioners and staff for working on the proposal. She emphasized the proposal is a starting point: the commission will review, amend and vote before any changes take effect.
