|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced on Aug. 19 an update to her proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 that restores important programs and services by leveraging $65.8 million in newly identified and recovered funds.
The updated budget reflects feedback from county commissioners, community stakeholders, and residents, while continuing to prioritize strong fiscal stewardship.
“Despite the unprecedented challenges we face, I am proud to present a balanced, accountable, and forward-looking budget that responds to our community’s most urgent needs,” Mayor Levine Cava said. “Through diligent work to streamline operations, update revenue projections, and recover unspent funds, as well as continued collaboration with the constitutional officers and county commission, we are able to restore important programs and services while protecting taxpayer dollars and strengthening our financial foundation for the future.”
The newly identified $65.8 million includes $33.2 million in unspent funds from constitutional offices from the current fiscal year, $6.6 million in additional departmental adjustments, and $26 million already announced from the Tax Collector’s Office.
Mayor Levine Cava’s updated budget recommendations include:
• $12.5 million to increase county reserves for long-term fiscal health;
• $7.5 million for additional public safety investments in the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office;
• $11.5 million to nearly fully restore cultural arts programming grants;
• $18.4 million to partially restore community organization funding;
• $5.6 million to restore all programming in community parks and eliminate proposed parking fees;
• $4.4 million for neighborhood road repairs, sidewalk fixes, and beautification;
• $400,000 for senior centers and senior health services;
• $5 million to cut the proposed gas tax increase by half, and
• $500,000 to reduce the proposed Special Transportation Services (STS) fare increase to only $0.25.
The amended proposal maintains an independent Department of Arts and Culture and restores nearly all arts and cultural programming grants, along with partially restoring community organization funding. It also fully preserves operational hours and programming in county parks, eliminates proposed new parking fees, and protects essential services for seniors and vulnerable residents.
Public safety remains a central priority as it has throughout the mayor’s administration, with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office set to receive $7.5 million of the $10.3 million in unspent funds returning to the county from FY 2024-25. In total, the Sheriff’s Office proposed budget for FY25-26 is $1.1 billion, and the county has increased investment in law enforcement by an average of 8 percent each year since Mayor Levine Cava was elected.
“Residents asked us to protect arts and culture, community programs, parks, and essential services for our most vulnerable—and we listened,” Mayor Levine Cava said. “At the same time, we are making smart investments in reserves and public safety to ensure Miami-Dade remains strong, safe, and financially resilient in the years ahead.”
The mayor will formally submit these recommendations in her first budget change memo, which will be reviewed by county commissioners in the coming weeks. The full memo can be found at https://documents.miamidade.gov/mayor/memos/2025-08-19-update-FY-25-26-proposed-budget-proposed-cuts.pdf.
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
