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Hialeah council approves one-year suspension of water and wastewater franchise fee; mayor signals intent to pursue repeal
Summary
The Hialeah City Council voted to suspend the municipal water and wastewater franchise fee for one year during first reading of an ordinance. City attorneys advised repeal would require a separate ordinance; the mayor said she prefers repealing the section from the code entirely.
The Hialeah City Council voted in favor of a first-reading ordinance to suspend the city's water and wastewater franchise fee for one year, with second reading and public hearing set for Aug. 26, 2025.
City Attorney and other staff told the council the measure as written suspends collection for one year. Mayor Garcia Roebes told colleagues she would prefer to remove the fee from the city code permanently and was advised that repeal would require a separate ordinance rather than the suspension now before the council. The city attorney said suspending the fee now would pause collections immediately and that a later ordinance could be prepared to repeal the code section entirely.
Council members discussed whether to eliminate the fee immediately but were counseled that repeal should proceed as a separate ordinance. Councilmember Monica Perez asked how a full repeal could affect the city; staff said the suspension has been used previously on a one-year basis and that future councils could reinstate the fee by ordinance. After debate the council voted to approve the suspension on first reading; the item will return for second reading and public hearing on Aug. 26.
The ordinance language shown on the agenda references Hialeah Code section 94-163, titled "water and wastewater payment in lieu of franchise fees." The first-reading motion approved suspension of the fee for one year rather than striking the code section. The mayor and several council members indicated they would pursue a separate repealer ordinance for future consideration.
The council took the vote during the administrative agenda; staff will prepare repeal language if the mayor and council wish to pursue permanent removal of the code section. The item will be on the council's Aug. 26 agenda for final action and public comment.
