Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee Meeting - July 9, 2025
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Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee Meeting - July 9, 2025
The Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee met on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, starting at approximately 11:00 AM in Commission Chambers. Chairwoman Raquel A. Regalado presided, with Vice Chairwoman Danielle Cohen Higgins and Commissioners Roberto J. Gonzalez, Natalie Milian Orbis, and Micky Steinberg present. The meeting focused on budget-related items, including water and sewer rates, transit services, debt collection, and various procurement and lease agreements. Chairwoman Regalado emphasized the need for thorough budget vetting and expressed frustration with late agenda items.
Consent Calendar
- Item 2B (Resolution on outsourcing county debt collection) – Initially passed in consent, but later reconsidered for discussion. All other consent items were approved unanimously, including resolutions on community redevelopment agency reports, tax roll extensions, and multiple procurement contracts. Item 3D (vehicle rental contract) was withdrawn unanimously.
Discussion Items
- Item 2C (Appointment of Stuart Archer to Naranja Lakes CRA) – Commissioner Cohen Higgins moved to amend the resolution to clarify that Archer serves the remainder of Mr. Casaris' unexpired term. The amendment was adopted, and the item passed unanimously.
- Item 2E (Flat water and sewer rates for FY2025-2026) – Chairwoman Regalado proposed directing the administration to create a plan to maintain flat rates, citing operational efficiencies. After extensive debate, the item was amended to require the administration to explore feasibility while ensuring compliance with the consent decree and capital project obligations. Commissioner Cohen Higgins expressed concerns about timing and lack of data. Passed unanimously as amended.
- Item 2F (Caribbean Village TOD lease agreement) – Late item. Moved and passed unanimously.
- Item 2G (Rail safety project expenditure authority) – Commissioner Higgins proposed raising the maximum expenditure authority from $25,000 to $5 million for rail safety projects. Discussion focused on budget constraints and the Coastal Link project. Amended to require a list of planned projects and funding sources. Passed and moved to the July 16 BCC meeting.
- Item 3G (Employee group legal services contract) – Commissioner Cohen Higgins questioned employee participation and value. Administration confirmed it is voluntary, with 7,000 employees enrolled at $15/paycheck, 1,900 at $20, and 3,300 at $20.59. No survey of employee satisfaction was available. Passed unanimously.
- Item 3K (On-demand transit services extension) – Chairwoman Regalado opposed the 18-month extension, citing budget gaps and the service being free since 2020. She proposed a shorter extension to December and an RFP process. The administration agreed. Passed as amended.
- Item 3L (Lease for State Rep Felicia Robinson) – Late item, passed without objection.
- Item 3N (Non-competitive contract for Gateway Ticketing System) – Passed with no fiscal impact to parks, as costs are covered by MetroZoo.
- Item 3O (Dan Paul Plaza conceptual plans) – Commissioner Hardemon presented the item, which authorizes opening the space for public use. The Miami Heat representative expressed support. Passed unanimously.
- Item 2B (Reconsidered – Outsourcing county debt collection) – Commissioner Cohen Higgins requested reconsideration. Discussion revealed that the county currently collects $17 million annually from a $500 million debt portfolio (excluding Jackson Health System's $3.6 billion). Chairwoman Regalado asked that the report include impacts on the 30 unionized employees in the collection division. The administration agreed to include that analysis. Passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: All items that came to a vote passed unanimously, many with amendments. No item failed.
- Amendments: Items 2C, 2E, 2G, and 3K were amended to add specificity or change terms.
- Directives: The administration was directed to report back on water and sewer rate feasibility (by July 31), rail safety project lists (by July 16), and debt collection outsourcing feasibility (within 30 days).
- Next Steps: Several items were forwarded to the July 16 Board of County Commissioners meeting. The committee will hold a joint meeting with the Government Efficiency Committee to discuss the budget further.
Meeting Transcript
Appropriations committee meeting. Running a little late here. We didn't want to give everybody a few minutes to get out. For get in, sit down. We're gonna have a lot of fun today, I promise. Madam Clark, can you please read the role? Call the roll. Good morning, Commissioner Gonzalez. Commissioner Milian Orbis here. Commissioner Steinberg. Vice Chairwoman Cohen Higgins. Present. Chairwoman Regalado present. We have four members present. We have a quorum. Thank you. Um do we know if if Commissioner Steinberg is on her way? Have you heard from staff? No. Okay. All right. Um if we can uh please start with a moment of silence. As many of you know, um, you know, this this tragedy in Texas has touched so many people, including our dear Dave Lawrence. Uh, we prayed for him yesterday in any committee. Uh, but I would like uh to pray for him and his family and everyone that's been impacted. Um so if we could please have a moment of prayer, a moment of silence for him. Um, and then Commissioner Gonzalez can do the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Pledge of agency to the flag of the United States of America and to the public for which it stands one nation under God. All right, everyone. So uh but before we get into the business and setting the agenda, I just want to say something. Um, myself, my staff, the chairman, and agenda staff are up until about 11:15 last night, unnecessarily um, receiving late items. I allowed most of them on today's agenda because I understand that we need a break. However, um it's completely unnecessary. So, new rule. At least in this committee, I can't speak to others. But if the item comes in and it is not on the printed agenda, it will not be part of the consent agenda. We'll have to go through it one by one. Just because there is not enough time to vet these items. It is unnecessary for us to be up all night looking at these items, and some of my colleagues received them this morning. So they will not pass in consent, period. And next time, I'm just not gonna put them on. I've also requested from the chairman to have a special committee of appropriations and get after the budget drops. I think it is necessary. There are several items on today's agenda that we're gonna talk about the budget because they impact the budget. However, not all of the commission has been briefed on the budget, and the public has not seen the budget, and the budget is not official because it has not been printed. This is by nature of how our calendar works. However, I do not think that we should pass items out of this committee and to July 16th or to September that impact a budget when some of us know that it's nonsense. Okay, it's as I said in committee earlier this week, it's schizophrenic. If the administration brings us an item that has a dollar amount that does not comport with the budget that we have been told about, then what are we doing?
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