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Miami Gardens has come a long way since its inception in 2003. I couldn’t have imagined the City would be where it is today, or that I would be here… in this spot. As a kid growing up in Liberty City and Miami Gardens, I didn’t see that my path would lead me to become the mayor of the City I’ve called home for almost 30 years of my life. Miami Gardens is a city born from the vision of those who dared to dream bigger, even in the face of much opposition. We are a city of achievement and innovation, and this past year, we certainly had to be innovative to carry on the City’s mission to provide the best service to our residents despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our dedication and passion for the City, drive-thru food distributions were born, along with rental, mortgage, and medical bill assistance programs. A total of $300,000 was dedicated towards the COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program using both CDBG and SHIP funding.
Small businesses were supported, and the day-to-day operations of our staff transformed to meet the needs of our constituents. COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites were made available to our residents, and we even transported seniors to receive their first and second vaccinations at Jesse Trice Community Health Center.
We weathered the worst of the pandemic together without hindering the fiscal progress the City has made thus far. The millage rate stayed the same, as it has for the past nine years, as part of our dedication to keeping homes affordable for our residents. We also secured an approximately 13% increase in the City’s reserves from last year, demonstrating the City’s pledge to remain fiscally responsible, and making sure we are always prepared for a rainy day.
Our parks continued in their renovations, and we opened up a new Bunche Park Alternative Sports and Fitness Center this past May. One of my greatest hopes was for us to provide activities and spaces for our seniors to utilize, and the Senior Family Center’s completion in July gave Miami Gardens’ seniors the perfect place to be. We broke ground on Andover Park in July, with the hope that it will soon join the other parks we have renovated, to provide a safe and beautiful place for our kids to learn, grow, and play. Andover is particularly special, as it will feature a sensory playground – an effort we made to ensure there’s a place for all kids in the City to have fun. In addition to the two parks that came online this year, we saw other developments take place in the City. Dutch Pot gave us another spot to hit up for Jamaican food, and soon, we’ll also see a Chipotle break ground at the southeast corner of 27th Avenue and 183rd Street. We also persisted in our efforts to beautify the City, coming together for cleanups and tree giveaways.
As part of our obligation to servicing and engaging the community, the City continued to invest in activities meant to enhance the well-being of our residents. From events to support residents’ economic growth like small business workshops, to programs that encourage our residents to be civically engaged like our Citizens’ Academy.
Once our parks were reopened, we resumed programming for our seniors and children like Aqua Fit and swimming lessons, youth sports, painting classes, senior walking clubs, and more. We’ve also had an abundance of community events for our residents to enjoy this past year, like our two, highly successful Juneteenth events, the Bahas Reunion and Juneteenth Park-In & Party. Moreover, community events like our senior holiday meal distributions, Virtual Kwanzaa celebration, bike rides, job fairs, the Reggae Summer Splash, women’s luncheons, hurricane preparedness clinics, and back-to-school giveaways further supported our community.
I am also happy to report that the crime rate is down across the City. Our police department continues to work hard to keep this community safe, and they certainly went above and beyond, which was demonstrated in their ability to reduce crime year-to-date by 15%. This department continued to engage with the community through events like Coffee with a Cop and National Night Out, to name a few.
However, as I reflect on this past year, I want to stress that none of what we’ve been able to achieve would have been possible without the amazing staff we have here in the City of Miami Gardens. Everyone, in every department, is instrumental to the City’s success. We have staff that truly cares about this City, its residents, and doing the best job they can do.
This past year was not without its challenges, but despite that, we overcame as we always have. Although there is still more work to be done, I’m eager to see what we can achieve next… together.
