Miami‑Dade opens first FY2026–27 budget hearing; mayor holds millage steady

The Miami‑Dade County Board of County Commissioners held its first budget hearing on the proposed fiscal 2026–27 budget, with the mayor presenting a plan that holds the countywide millage at 4.574 mills while asking the commission to balance growing costs and constrained revenues.

Mayor Daniela Levine Cava told the board she presented a balanced proposal that maintains the historically low millage rate and prioritizes public safety while identifying about $121 million in internal savings through the administration's WISE305 efficiency effort. "We cannot ask taxpayers for more," she said, urging commissioners to identify any alternative priorities and explain what the county should cut to pay for them.

The budget director walked the board through proposed millage rates and the structure of the county's operating and debt service levies, stressing that the proposed millage levels set ceilings for final action at the second hearing on Sept. 17. The hearing included formal presentations from constitutional officers and department heads and a lengthy public comment period.

Dozens of speakers urged restoring or protecting funding for specific programs, including the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) program, emergency transit routes, libraries, and community‑based organizations. Commissioners used the hearing and ensuing debate to press the administration for scenarios identifying legally available offsets should the board decide to increase funding for the sheriff or other priorities. Several procedural amendments and bifurcations were introduced and voted on during extended discussion; many measures were advanced for further consideration at the second hearing.