Miami-Dade Government Efficiency & Transparency Committee Meeting - May 15, 2025

The Government Efficiency and Transparency Ad Hoc Committee met on May 15, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Commission Chambers. The committee, chaired by Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, reviewed multiple resolutions, heard departmental presentations on efficiency and transparency, and discussed IT service delivery. Key votes included forwarding resolutions on marketing expenditure review, local produce procurement, and public service aide usage, while deferring a payroll audit and a public feedback webpage. The committee also received presentations from the Internal Compliance Department, People and Internal Operations, and the Office of Management and Budget, and held a discussion on Information Technology Department efficiencies.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A member of the public spoke in support of developing a budget interactive tool, urging the committee to support a transparent, multilingual, and participatory budgeting process. The speaker noted that counties like Pinellas and Flagler, and municipalities like North Miami, have already implemented such tools with smaller budgets. The speaker requested an opportunity to meet with commissioners to move the initiative forward.

Consent Calendar

• The committee approved the agenda with a motion and second, after noting additions and deferrals. Items not bifurcated were moved en bloc and passed unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Item 2C (Payroll System Audit): A resolution directing an independent external audit of the county payroll system was deferred to no date certain at the request of the prime sponsor, Commissioner Gonzalez, to avoid duplication with the Clerk of the Court's efforts. Deferred 4-0.
• Item 2F (Public Feedback Webpage/Email): At the request of the chairman, the item was deferred to the next committee meeting to ensure alignment with the county commission. The prime sponsor, Commissioner Bermudez, expressed strong support. Deferred 4-0.
• Item 2D (Right-of-Way Vacation): Commissioner Bermudez bifurcated this item due to concerns about fiscal impact and property valuation. The committee voted to forward the resolution to the full Board of County Commissioners without a recommendation (4-0). Commissioner Cohen Higgins noted that such vacations are routine, but the chair expressed need for clearer answers.
• Item 3A (Ratification of Vendor Additions to Open Pool Contracts): Commissioner Cohen Higgins questioned the process for adding vendors. Chief Procurement Officer Namira Upal explained that pools are open, criteria are published, and any qualified vendor meeting requirements is added without discretion. The committee ratified the additions and passed the item unanimously.
• Item 1F1 (Discussion on IT Department Efficiencies): Commissioner Regalado led a discussion on ITD's centralized service model, expressing concerns about slow service, double-billing perceptions, and the need for faster response for enterprise departments. Yinka Major Kutomi from the Commission Auditor's office presented preliminary data showing ticket lifecycles ranging from 1 day to over 1,100 days. ITD Director Margaret Brisbane explained the consolidation rationale, ongoing modernization efforts, and willingness to provide more detail. The committee agreed to schedule a future presentation on ITD.

Presentations

• Internal Compliance Department (Ophelia Tamayo): The department focuses on operational efficiencies, revenue generation, compliance, and system optimization. Highlights include collecting over $20 million annually in gross collections (against $3 billion outstanding debt), administering over 120,000 code enforcement citations, and using AI for chatbots and automated callers. The department aims to streamline processes and generate dashboards for transparency.
• People and Internal Operations (Raymond Hall & Alejandro Martinez Esteve): The newly integrated department combines HR and ISD. Key goals include reducing time-to-fill for critical positions from 115 to 60 days, standardizing work practices, leveraging technology, and improving labor relations. The Office of Real Estate and Development highlighted efficiency initiatives: reducing appraisal engagement time, standardizing real estate documents, and creating a property conveyance assessment team to monitor leases and defaults. The committee discussed lease payment tracking and the need for automated systems.
• Office of Management and Budget (David Cluckfelder): OMB presented its role in budget preparation, performance improvement (Lean Six Sigma training for 1,800+ employees), grant coordination (securing $6 billion in federal funds since 2020), and bond management (saving $695 million since 2020). The county's bond ratings have been upgraded, with Moody's AA2, S&P AA, and Fitch AA+. Commissioner Regalado suggested separating enterprise and general fund budgets in future presentations.

Key Outcomes

• Item 2A (Marketing Expenditure Report): Forwarded to the full Board of County Commissioners with a favorable recommendation (4-0).
• Item 2B (Local Produce Procurement Study): Forwarded to the full Board with a favorable recommendation (4-0).
• Item 2C (Payroll Audit): Deferred to no date certain (4-0).
• Item 2D (Right-of-Way Vacation): Forwarded to the full Board without a recommendation (4-0).
• Item 2E (Public Service Aides for Roadway Projects): Forwarded to the full Board with a favorable recommendation (4-0).
• Item 2F (Public Feedback Webpage/Email): Deferred to the next committee meeting (4-0).
• Item 3A (Vendor Pool Ratification): Approved unanimously.
• The committee agreed to hold a joint meeting with the Appropriations Committee to discuss the upcoming budget, including state and federal funding impacts.
• ITD will provide a future presentation with more detailed information on service level agreements, ticketing, and budgeting processes.