Levine Cava outlines WISE 305 agenda, housing and transit investments in 2025 State of the County

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava delivered the 2025 State of the County address at Miami Senior High School, presenting a proposed $10 billion county budget that she said includes a reduction in the millage rate and a new “WISE 305” program focused on workplace reforms, technology investments, savings and efficiency reviews.

The address outlined how the mayor plans to use the budget and administrative changes to expand affordable housing, complete large transit projects and invest in infrastructure and environmental protections. Levine Cava emphasized fiscal stewardship and asked whether each proposal “make[s] us more affordable,” “safer and more resilient,” and represents “good use of our hard earned tax dollars.”

Levine Cava said the budget package would fund large capital programs, including $7 billion for capital improvements and about $1.7 billion for maintenance upgrades. She described the WISE 305 agenda as a set of measures to streamline county operations: remove inefficient rules, invest in permitting and customer-service technology, consolidate services to save money and review policies more than a decade old for possible sunsetting.

Housing featured prominently in the speech. The mayor said there are almost 17,000 affordable workforce units currently in the pipeline and that county investments in affordable housing rose from $128 million in early 2021 to $242 million in 2024. Levine Cava highlighted a county condominium special-assessment loan program that she said has helped more than 1,000 families obtain zero-interest loans to cover critical building repairs. The county also drew down roughly $80 million in federal grants to support large developments in neighborhoods including Overtown and Goulds, she said. Levine Cava said the county has funded a program that keeps 17 housing projects on track amid rising construction costs and secured a $2.5 million federal grant for eviction-diversion and legal outreach to prevent homelessness.

On transit, Levine Cava announced the completion of construction on the South Dade Transit Way — described in the speech as the nation’s longest battery-electric bus rapid transit system — with service slated to begin this summer. She said the county has secured major funding for the north, northeast and east-west corridors, delivered the largest community-led bus-network redesign in 40 years, and that bus ridership has grown nearly 10%, making Miami-Dade the 10th largest bus system in the country. The speech also promised upgrades to the Metromover and to bus passenger shelters.

The mayor tied infrastructure to economic growth and resilience, saying the county drew down more than $1 billion in state and federal funding in the past four years. She cited Miami International Airport’s $9 billion modernization plan and noted PortMiami’s new shore-power capability, which allows up to five ships at a time to plug in while docked to reduce emissions. On climate and jobs, Levine Cava said Miami-Dade is the only U.S. jurisdiction with a Climate Tech Hub designation among 31 national tech hubs and said the county has been awarded more than $20 million to support green-industry growth and training programs.

Levine Cava also reiterated the county’s Connect to Protect effort to replace failing septic tanks with sewer connections to protect Biscayne Bay and prepare for sea-level rise. She said more than 11,000 connections are in progress and that about 1,000 properties have already been connected in neighborhoods the speech named as beneficiaries.

On public safety and human services, the mayor highlighted a 20-year, $90 million “peace and prosperity” plan for crime reduction and prevention, the opening this year of a new mental-health center providing a continuum of care, and other programs to support older adults, prevent elder abuse and expand swim-safety education for children.

Levine Cava closed by stressing cooperation with the Board of County Commissioners to implement the proposals and said the county’s fiscal measures have produced five credit-rating upgrades that lowered future debt costs. “Together, we will take care of business,” she said, calling the state of the county strong and saying “our best days are yet to come.”

The mayor’s speech included multiple named program figures and funding totals as stated above; the county commission and county departments will consider the proposed budget and follow-up items during public meetings prior to adoption.