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Benjamin Franklin is widely credited with saying that the only things that are inevitable in life are “death and taxes.” Franklin left out the part that politicians will inevitably muck about with taxes, as well. It’s happening here in Miami-Dade as you read this.
Prior to 2002, Miami-Dade County was in a crisis over funding for transportation. The federal and state governments had kicked in billions for the construction of Metrorail and the downtown Metromover, but the annual cost of running them had to be borne by the County. And, add the time, the County had a bus fleet that was aging and fuel inefficient.
The Florida Legislature enacted a bill that would allow the counties and some municipalities to add an extra half-penny to the sales tax to fund transportation improvements. In Miami-Dade County, the people were reluctant to support the measure when it would mean that hundreds of millions of dollars would be dumped on the floor of the County Commission for
Commissioners to fight over, each backed by a group of lobbyists (known colloquially as “a mischief of lobbyists).
The breakthrough came with the proviso that transportation projects that would be funded by the half-penny sales tax would first have to be vetted by an independent group who would make recommendations about each proposal based upon the wisdom of the expenditures and their fairness. The County Commission would retain final say, but would need a supermajority vote of two-thirds of its members to override a recommendation of this independent panel of citizens.
The group was baptized with a name that granted an instant air of respectability: The
Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust, known as “the CITT.” The entire structure is known as “the People’s Transportation Plan”. Over the past 20 years, the half-penny surtax has generated over $4 billion for transit and transportation improvements starting with the cost of expanding Metrorail to the airport; buying new fleets of Metrorail, Metromover, and Metrobus vehicles; paying for municipal trolleys and circulator services in over 30 municipalities; bicycle paths and sidewalk improvements; and smarter traffic signals. Just a few weeks ago, the CITT voted to approve funding for initial work on the long-delayed extension of Metrorail along the North Corridor.
This year, the CITT will get the first say on how about $400 million in expected annual proceeds will be spent. That pile of cash is proving too tempting for some County Commissioners. All of that might change on January 9 th when a proposal floated by Commissioner Eileen Higgins is slated to go before the County Commission’s Transportation, Mobility & Planning Committee for consideration. (It already passed the County Commission on first reading in November.)
The purported aim of the proposed ordinance is to streamline the County’s procurement process, but the real goal seems to be to hobble the CITT and consolidate power at the
Commission. The present requirement that the CITT, as part of its charge to act as a fiduciary on behalf of the County’s taxpayers, can only be overridden by a two-thirds supermajority vote, would be reduced to a simple majority of the County Commission quorum present. And the requirement that any project seeking half-penny funds must first make a stop at the CITT for its review and recommendation before being considered by the Commission would be turned on its head, allowing items to go straight to the Commission without prior CITT review and the additional public hearing it affords citizens to engage on these matters.
And if the CITT were to reject a project approved by the Commission after the fact, the County Commission could still go ahead with just another simple majority vote, but only after adding additional time to the procurement process on the back-end (proof that the supposed goal of “streamlining” is nothing more than a red herring).
The CITT was sold to Miami-Dade voters with the idea that it would be an objective and a-political watchdog. The County Commission stands ready to pull the few teeth and claws this 20-year-old watchdog has to begin with, and to gouge out its eyes for good measure. It is a break with the promise made and the assurance given that the people would ultimately exercise great responsibility over the great power granted to the County Commission, and it is an affront to the transparency and accountability the citizens voted for.
Community Newspapers has long supported proper oversight and good government. We
stand opposed to the proposed changes to the powers and authority of the CITT.
Miami Community Newspaper is an online newspaper that provides up-to-date local news and information about the Miami community. This daily newspaper provides local news coverage and keeps its readers up to date on the latest developments in the area. Their website also includes a Miami community podcast, where listeners can get the latest news and updates on the Miami community. Miami Community Newspapers is the perfect source for all your local Miami news needs, whether it is from their daily newspaper, podcasts, or other media sources.
