Miami-Dade mayor to unveil budget proposal as county faces $173 million revenue gap
Key Points(5)
- Facing another challenging budget year, Miami-Dade’s mayor this week revealed she won’t be diverting money from charity and arts grants or raising new revenue by making drivers pay more for gas or transit passengers pay more for rides.
- Still, the mayor, who has vowed not to propose property tax increases, offered no hint at where the cuts will come.
- In taking arts and charity cuts off the table, Levine Cava has narrowed her options for closing what this year’s forecast projects as a $173 million revenue gap for the 2027 budget year, which begins Oct.
- She also said that her 2027 budget won’t try to raise money from transit riders or car owners — another change from last year’s budget proposal.
- In the 2026 budget, commissioners rejected Levine Cava’s request for a 50-cent increase in transit fares — from $2.25 to $2.75.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is set to unveil her proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 county budget this week, promising a balanced spending plan that maintains property tax rates while protecting key public services.
Levine Cava will present the proposed budget during a press conference on Wednesday, July 15, at the Stephen P. Clark Center, alongside Miami-Dade Office of Management and Budget Director Ray Baker.
The proposed budget prioritizes investments in public safety, parks and transportation while maintaining funding for libraries, community-based organizations and arts and cultural programmes, according to the county.
The spending plan comes as Miami-Dade prepares for slower revenue growth and rising costs associated with delivering county services.
Ahead of the budget presentation, Levine Cava said she will not seek additional revenue by increasing costs for drivers or transit users, and she will not cut funding for nonprofit organizations and arts programmes.
Speaking at a town hall meeting last week, the mayor said the budget would require “serious belt tightening” but would maintain current funding levels for county-supported charities, known as community-based organizations (CBOs), as well as existing arts grants.
The decision follows last year’s budget controversy, when proposed cuts to nonprofit grants and arts funding drew criticism before Levine Cava reversed course and restored the funding.
“We’re presenting you a balanced budget,” Levine Cava said of the 2027 plan, “but one that does include some serious belt tightening.”
The mayor has also committed to keeping property tax rates unchanged, limiting some of the options available to address what county forecasts project as a $173 million revenue gap for the budget year beginning October 1.
Levine Cava said she has asked departments funded through property taxes, including Parks and Animal Services, to limit spending increases to 3 per cent.
The mayor did not provide details on where additional reductions would be made but said the budget would reflect efforts to control spending while maintaining essential services.
County commissioners are expected to vote on the proposed budget in September after public hearings scheduled for September 3 and September 17.
