Miami City Commission Second and Final Budget Hearing – September 24, 2026

The City of Miami City Commission convened on September 24, 2026, for its second and final budget hearing and related second budget public hearing. Commissioners present were Miguel Angel Gaela, Damian Pardo, Rolando Escalona, and Ralph Rafael Rosado; Commissioner Christine King arrived later. City Manager James Reyes, City Attorney George K. Wisang III, and City Clerk Todd Hannon also appeared. Deputy City Attorney Ave Alban outlined public comment procedures, including a two-minute speaking limit and the 5:05 p.m. public comment start time. No changes were made to the agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joshua Espinosa, identifying himself as an FIU student and Libertarian Party of Miami-Dade secretary, opposed funding for automated license plate readers and radio frequency scanners, requesting removal of the $195,000 capital budget line item on page 354 and calling the surveillance systems unconstitutional.
• Daniela Garcia Marquez, a high school freshman from District 5, described gentrification pushing longtime neighbors out of Liberty City and urged the city to invest more in affordable housing, supporting the Liberty City Revitalization Trust as a way to keep money in the community.
• Jennifer Byington of Clean Miami Beach / Clean Miami Dade supported investing in resiliency and infrastructure to prevent waste from entering streets, Biscayne Bay, and the ocean, noting her group had removed over 145,000 pounds of trash from the local environment over seven years.
• Mayra Rodriguez, founder and president of Nanito's Hope Foundation and widow of Juan Manuel "Nanito" Vasquez, asked the commission to protect and increase funding for housing assistance, senior programs, disability services, and essential human services.
• Patricia Garcia, a District 1 resident and civic advocate, spoke about infrastructure funding inequities in District 1, the need for accessibility improvements for residents with disabilities, and her concern that residents' advocacy on social media is censored.
• Chaplain Stanley Young of Freedom Prison Jail Ministry described encountering homelessness in all districts, including a young mother with two children, and asked the city to support outreach efforts and a collective response to homelessness.
• Sharon Frazier of District 5 requested at least $25,000 for Lighthouse Angels and other community organizations, and voiced support for the police and Commissioner Christine King.
• James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, opposed the proposed DDA budget, arguing the DDA should not exist and continuing to tax downtown residents. He stated the proposed DDA budget rises from $18.9 million to $25.6 million, a 35% increase, with more than $4.2 million in salary and benefits and nearly $4 million in reserves. He asked commissioners to pull the budget and requested $2 million for Miami police safety and $3 million in immediate reserve relief for downtown residents.
• Tomas Kennedy urged the commission to withdraw from the 287(g) agreement with ICE, saying ICE agents are stopping people and that Doral canceled Oktoberfest because of enforcement concerns. He criticized the mayor for not meeting with immigrant-rights advocacy groups.
• Billy Corbin, calling himself the unofficial Eileen Higgins campaign promise scorekeeper, criticized the mayor for not conducting the promised "deep dive" into the city budget, noting an additional $73 million ask and a 30% increase in the mayor's office budget. He also opposed the proposed billion-dollar general obligation bond, citing financial risk and a potential lawsuit.
• Alberta Ray of DFLOC Miami Dade opposed funding surveillance technology, specifically $150,000 allocated for investigative technology, citing privacy concerns and the existing 287(g) agreement.
• Kimberly Davis of the Coconut Grove Optimist Club urged continued funding for the Miami Bahamas Goombay Festival, describing it as an economic engine for small businesses, vendors, artists, hotels, and restaurants and a cornerstone of local heritage. She thanked Commissioner Damian Pardo for his support.

Discussion Items

• Budget Director Maggie Goren reported that the tentative general operating millage rate is 7.1080 mills, 5.94% higher than the state-defined rollback rate of 6.7097 mills. She noted the city receives 37 cents of every property tax dollar, the school board receives 33 cents, the county receives 25 cents, and other taxing authorities receive 5 cents. An average homestead assessed at $457,528 would result in city taxes of $3,368, while a $500,000 property would result in $3,681. The revised total operating budget for fiscal year 2026-27 is $1.864 billion, with the general fund changing by $950,000 and special revenue funds by $1.4 million.
• Acting Miami DDA Executive Director J. Green presented the proposed final DDA millage rate of 0.3800 mills, which is 1.47% greater than the statutory rollback rate of 0.3745 mills.
• During the BH3 budget discussion, Commissioner Rosado raised concerns about the distribution of special events funding across districts. He noted the overall events budget totals $3.428 million and that, excluding $29,000 for holiday lighting at City Hall, equal per-district allocations would be approximately $679,800. Commissioner King defended the larger allocation for her district, citing the MLK parade and citywide cultural events, and opposed cutting any event funding. City Manager James Reyes stated the events total needed to remain at $3.428 million to maintain a balanced budget but agreed to work with Commissioner Rosado to identify $100,000 in additional funding for the Three Kings Parade and to reevaluate the allocation formula in the next budget cycle.
• BH2, the ad valorem tax ordinance, was amended to clarify that it establishes a final millage rate, add a whereas clause about the September 10 first budget hearing, and confirm compliance with state statute. Backup TRIM notice affidavits and Miami Herald tear sheets were entered into the record for BH2 and BH3.

Key Outcomes

• The commission unanimously adopted BH2, as amended, setting the total final millage rate at 7.3616 mills for the general operating budget and voted debt service for fiscal year 2026-27.
• The commission unanimously adopted BH3, as amended, approving the city's final operating budget for fiscal year 2026-27, including an updated general fund budget, revised total for all non-capital funds, and Exhibit A.
• The commission unanimously approved BH5 and BH6, establishing the Miami DDA's final millage rate of 0.3800 mills and approving the DDA's final budget for fiscal year 2026-27.
• The commission unanimously approved BH7, the Bayfront Park Management Trust budget and master plan.
• City staff and the mayor's office agreed to work with Commissioner Rosado on a $100,000 supplemental allocation for the Three Kings Parade within the balanced budget, with reevaluation of the events funding formula to occur for the next budget cycle.
• Public comment was closed and the meeting was adjourned.