Sweetwater annexation adds to tax rolls as Jose "Pepe" Diaz eyes mayor's seat

The Miami-Dade Commission voted 10-1 Wednesday to approve the annexation of two square miles into the city of Sweetwater, practically doubling the municipal’s geographic footprint and adding millions to its tax rolls with the mostly commercial area just to the west.

And the timing couldn’t be better: Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who is termed out after this year, is widely rumored to be eyeing a return to the mayoral seat in Sweetwater, which is going to have a fatter budget now.

Mostly thanks to him: He sponsored the measure.

Diaz also sponsored a change in the rules months ago that blocked the city of Doral — which is connected by a much smaller corner — from annexing the same exact area, from Northwest 12th to 25th streets and NW 117th to 127th avenues. Both cities want it because it’s home to Amazon, Goya Foods, UPS, Telemundo, John Deere, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Topgolf, City Furniture, a Home Depot a 24-Fitness gym and more.

And an attorney for Doral indicated Wednesday that the city could sue.

So might some of the property owners in the area, who could suddenly find themselves with an estimated tax hike of $5,100, according to figures provided by Miami-Dade Chief Financial Officer Ed Marquez. But they have no say in it. There are no residents in the area and commercial property owners don’t get to vote on annexations like homeowners would.

That’s why Commissioner Joe Martinez voted against it. He said it amounted to “taxation without representation.” In fact, it would have been approved without any discussion if not for Martinez, who said it is detrimental to services in the unincorporated municipal services area, especially with police.

“The more you take away from the whole, the less that those units that serve countywide,” Martinez, a longtime critic of annexations, said. He also voted against an annexation for Miami Gardens that passed 10-1.

“I wasn’t elected to serve for Sweetwater, Miami Gardens, Miami, Miami Beach. I am a county commissioner and that’s what I represent, the whole county,” Martinez said, taking a dig at Diaz. “You do work with your municipality and you do try to help them out, but not to the detriment of the county as a whole.”

Martinez also objected to losing a donor taxbase area. Marquez also said the county would lose about $576,564 in tax revenue after subtracting the $1.1 million in services provided. Police, fire, building and other municipal services to the area will now be provided by Sweetwater.

Prepárense.

Diaz didn’t even let Martinez get answers from the staff. After they stalled, Martinez said he didn’t want to hold things up. “Thank you Commissioner Martinez,” the chairman said, defending the “minute” property tax hike.

Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez told the Miami Herald it was enough of an injection of revenue to provide other property owners with a tax break.

But how much longer is Lopez going to be in office before Diaz is the mayor and can play with that money?

Sweetwater Annexation Memo and Information by Political Cortadito on Scribd

annexation, Joe Martinez., Jose “Pepe” Diaz