Carlos Gimenez’s town hall talks start Wednesday — online

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Just like last year, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez plans to come out into the community to defend the cuts in his $6.2 billion budget, which calls for the firing of around 250 police officers and the slashing of other services while gifting millions to private developers and companies, especially those in the friends and family plan.

The first meeting is at Aventura City Hall on Thursday, but residents can ask questions via Facebook or Twitter on a day earlier — and for the mayor to get an idea of questions and the public’s pulse a day earlier.

Because we know how much he loves to face the public.

“We decided to add a social media component to the town hall meetings this year to reach a larger audience and let the residents of Miami-Dade County speak directly with the mayor and share their ideas on the budget,” said Christina Armand, a spokeswoman with the mayor’s office.

Gimenez will use the social media platforms to host the first budget town hall meetings Wednesday — on Facebook from noon to 1 p.m. and on a Twitter chat from 3 to 4 p.m. It will be streamed live on the county website so we’ll know he’s answering the questions and not his handlers. The website also has an “agenda” that sets up some of the budget revenues and expenditures for residents who want to participate to use. Questions can be submitted on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #MDCBudget.

“These town hall meeting are another example of how we are using social media to reach our residents,” Gimenez said in a press release. “Facebook and Twitter allow our residents to speak directly with us and share their ideas on our budget.”

It also allows him to test the waters before he goes out into the real public arena.

And for those of you who want to tune in but might not have questions of your own, here’s a few from Ladra’s arsenal:

• Are you still taking $3 million from the fire department’s reserves to fund libraries rather than the fire boat? And why?
• How is the county going to fund the fire department next year when the grant they got for two years is over with?
• If you’ve streamlined the administration and eliminated so many assistant city manager positions, making government so much more efficient, why is there still not enough money? Where did that money go?
• Why can’t we use surplus money from the airport or seaport to balance the general fund? Can’t the commission create a mechanism for that?
• What specific cuts are you suggesting in the budget to other departments besides fire, police and libraries?
• How come the deal with the Miami Heat was presented as something the commission directed you to do earlier this year when their lobbyist, your BFF Jorge Luis Lopez, had been meeting with Internal Services Director Lester Sola about it for two years, by Sola’s own admission?
• What can you say to those who, in a recent poll, indicated that you are too beholden to special interests (read: lobbyists)?
• Why is it more important to find monies for the Perez Art Museum Miami and marketing incentives for Carnival Cruise Lines than for our county police force?
• What changed your mind about the strong mayor position, which you now apparently support?
• Why did you characterize the 5% give back to county employees — a salary reduction taken from them five years ago and returned this year by an overturn of your veto — as a salary raise on multiple radio programs?

C’mon, everybody. Join the fun! I’m sure I forgot a few choice preguntas.

Post your own questions in the comments below. The best five will be asked and hashtagged at tomorrow’s virtual town hall.

Or you can ask in person at one of the live public events. Armand assures us that Gimenez will be at each one — and not just send his staff.

  budget cuts, Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade budget