Miami-Dade commissioners pass new $14.26B budget

Commissioners approved Miami-Dade County’s $14.26 billion budget while keeping operating property tax rates flat at 4.57 mills, after a meeting from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami. While the county’s new budget kept public bus service before 6 a.m., it did not bridge the gap between Miami-Dade’s Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz’s request and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s proposal for commissioners.Related story: Miami-Dade sheriff asks commissioners for bigger budget: ‘Anything less is defunding the police’Cordero-Stutz told commissioners that she was concerned that Levine Cava’s proposal, which includes about $1 billion to fund the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, did not meet the county’s law enforcement agency’s staffing needs. “The proposed budget is not a responsible investment in public safety,” Cordero-Stutz said, adding MDSO currently operates below the Florida average. During the process, Levine Cava told commissioners that property value growth had “returned to more moderate levels,” the cost of living continued to rise, and the county needed to prepare for the possibility of statewide property tax reform. “At least these $11.5 million gets them to their contractual obligations,” Anthony Rodriguez, the commission’s chairman, said about adding to the sheriff’s budget.Commissioners Vicki L. Lopez and René Garcia said they fully supported finding additional dollars for the sheriff’s budget. Commissioner Keon Hardemon said it was likely the sheriff was still going to appeal to the state’s cabinet. “I want to be supportive, but I just think that the money could be better served in other ways,“ said Hardemon, who represents District 3.Related story: Miami-Dade commissioners raise concerns about county’s ‘Welcome to Vice City’ deal with Rockstar GamesRodriguez said he wanted commissioners to allocate $5 million to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, a marketing organization, to “reinvest” in the community. Commissioners Danielle Cohen Higgins, Oliver G. Gilbert, III, and Garcia supported it. Commissioners Raquel A. Regalado, Micky Steinberg, and Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez opposed it. Commissioners plan to reconsider raising funds to avoid the budget’s cuts on the late-night public bus service. Related link: Miami-Dade approves $14B budget, late-night buses cut, Miami Herald reportsWatch the meeting Related proposed budgetVolume 1Volume 2Volume 3Related documentsBudget-in-brief (7 pages)Agenda item (698 pages)Related reportsNorth Miami council approves $238.9 million budget, keeps 7.4 millage rate Fort Lauderdale commissioners adopt $1.28 billion budget, keep same millage rate for 19th yearRelated social mediaMiami-Dade Chair Anthony Rodriguez said he wants to send $5M in mostly property-tax dollars to Miami-Dade’s tourism bureau. The GMCVB gave Rodriguez’s PAC $38K worth of World Cup skybox tickets in June. The board already gets $37M from county hotel taxes https://t.co/Tl6uVskyHt— Doug Hanks (@doug_hanks) September 18, 2026