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Miami-Dade County residents pay some of the highest taxes in the state, yet most residents have no clear way of seeing how their elected leaders spend the money allocated to their offices. Every year, each commissioner receives funds used for staffing, communications, travel, office expenses, events, printing, consultants and discretionary use. And every year, that money is spent with almost no real-time visibility for the people footing the bill. The information exists – because legally it must – but accessing it requires public record requests, waiting weeks, navigating outdated systems, or relying on summaries that lack detail or context. In 2025, that is unacceptable.
If transparency is truly a priority, then every commissioner should have a public-facing dashboard on their official county webpage, showing a simple line-by-line breakdown of the expenses their office generates. Not as a glossy yearly PDF. Not as a vague report with rounded totals. And definitely not something only accessible through a formal request. A dashboard – updated monthly – would allow residents to see where office dollars are going, how much remains, and how priorities shift through the year.
We already live in a world where banking apps show spending in real time, and nonprofit and corporate financials are increasingly accessible through digital platforms.
Other governments around the US have done it because transparency builds trust. Miami-Dade should not lag, especially in a county where budgets are in the billions and public skepticism is already high.
Where the money goes matters. If a commissioner is spending heavily on community events, residents might see that as an investment in constituent services. If travel spending spikes, people deserve to know the purpose and benefit. If consulting fees or outside services grow dramatically, the public should see patterns and ask questions. Transparency is not about accusing anyone of wrongdoing. It’s about preventing questions from becoming accusations in the first place. A dashboard can help with that.
A real spending dashboard would also help normalize responsible budgeting. Commissioners could point to it when making hard decisions, especially during years with budget cuts or financial challenges. The message becomes: “Here’s where your money goes. Here’s why we made the choices we did.” That level of openness eliminates confusion and builds credibility – even when the public disagrees.
The technology exists, the information exists, and the public deserves access without obstacles. The question now is whether commissioners are willing to share that access voluntarily or whether residents will need to demand it.
