The public will have six opportunities this week to hear details about the proposed $11 billion, 2023-24 Miami-Dade budget — which includes a proposed $36 annual garbage fee increase — beginning Wednesday in North Dade.
But will they have a chance to make any meaningful input? That is the real question. Are these just futile exercises for the sake of optics? To make it seem like a participatory process?
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is likely not going to be there. She can’t be at all of them anyway because the county has scheduled two a night. You know, to get it over with quickly. Rip that bandaid off.
But her spokeswoman said that the process has been months long and included more than 30 meetings with environmental groups, women’s groups, chambers of commerce. “Conversations with Cava” begin next week, Natalia Jaramillo told Ladra.
Read related: Proposed Miami-Dade budget includes fake ‘tax break’ and real fee increases
“The budget process is very lengthy and it does give time to get input from constituents and it is amended often,” Jaramillo said.
All the meetings begin at 6 p.m. and three of them will be streamed on Zoom for people who prefer to make no impact from home or who can’t be there. They will be held:
Wednesday, Aug. 16
- North Dade Regional Library, 2455 N.W. 183rd St., Miami Gardens (Register to watch via Zoom)
- Northeast Dade – Aventura Branch Library, 2930 Aventura Blvd., Aventura
Thursday, Aug. 17
- Arcola Lakes Branch Library, 8240 N.W. 7th Ave., Miami (Register to watch via Zoom)
- Westchester Regional Library, 9445 Coral Way, Miami
Friday, Aug. 18
- West Kendall Regional Library, 10201 Hammocks Blvd., Miami (Register to watch via Zoom)
- Naranja Branch Library, 14850 S.W. 280 St., Homestead
This is the biggest budget in the county’s history, with a 20% increase in capital spending. Maybe the public should be helping to decide how to dole out those limited federal dollars? Maybe they want to be heard on the potential suspension of the recycling.
Also, why is the smallest amount of real money being spent toward transit and transportation? According to “your dollar at work,” the breakdown provided by the county, 7 cents of every taxpayer dollar goes to transportation and mobility. A penny more goes to both general government and recreation and culture. Health and society get 11 cents.
And 23 cents for “neighborhood and infrastructure” means what, exactly?
Even though there are six meetings this week, it looks like the only real chance for the public to make an appeal on anything is at the first budget public hearing, before all 13 commissioners, which begins at 5 p.m. Sept. 7. The second public hearing, and the last chance to make any impact, is Sept. 21.
For more details on the proposed budget and to read the mayor’s budget memo, go here.
Public meetings on Miami-Dade budget start this week = too late for real input? added by Ladra on
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