Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee Meeting

Date: September 10, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Commission Chambers
Members Present: Chairwoman Raquel A. Regalado (7), Vice Chairwoman Danielle Cohen Higgins (8), Commissioners Roberto J. Gonzalez (11), Natalie Milian Orbis (6), and Micky Steinberg (4).

The committee met to discuss enterprise department budgets and to act on a consent agenda, a public hearing, and numerous resolutions. All non‑public hearing items except 3C were moved en bloc. The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2A (Resolution revising affordable‑housing inventory list): Forwarded to full BCC with a favorable recommendation (5‑0).
• Items 3A–3O (resolutions for contracts, procurement, and interlocal agreements): All forwarded to full BCC with favorable recommendations (votes ranged 5‑0 or 4‑0).
• Item 6A (Clerk’s Summary of Minutes for previous Appropriations Committee meetings): Approved 5‑0.
• Item 3H (Court case management system contract): Advanced to the next Commission meeting at the administration’s request.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 1F1 (Enterprise Budgets): Several members of the public signed up to speak (Barbara Melanier, Sumaya Claude, Amy Morales, Melissa Vetien, Nick Mayor, Tenny and Danny) but none actually addressed the committee; all waived their opportunity. No public testimony was provided.
• Item 1G1 (Water & Sewer Security Ordinance): No public speakers; the public hearing was opened and closed without testimony.

Discussion Items

• Item 1F1 – Enterprise Department Budgets:

  • Seaport Department (Director Heidi Webb): Reported strong revenues ($346 M guaranteed), $420 M cash reserves, and a $768 M total budget. Revenues are 16.8% higher than the prior year. Expenses are 5% lower. Commissioners applauded the port’s financial health and its handling of the pandemic.
  • Miami‑Dade Aviation Department (Director Ralph Gutierrez): Presented record passenger volumes (56 M passengers), 1,100 daily flights, and an $181.4 B economic impact. Operating budget is $1.274 B; capital budget $699 M. Discussion centered on personnel growth and vacancies. Over five years, 330 FTEs were added (mostly maintenance and operations), which helped eliminate $8.1 M in overtime.
  • Housing & Community Development (Nathan – Director): Outlined four funding pillars (public housing, Section 8 vouchers, community development, redevelopment). The federal government’s inflation factor for vouchers was 0% for Miami‑Dade while Broward received 14%, creating a projected $45 M shortfall. Staff is working with HUD to cover the gap.
  • RER/DERM (Lourdes Gomez, later Julie Dick): 296 vacancies in RER, half over six months. Hard‑to‑fill positions (structural engineers, hydrogeologists, IT) often take up to two years. For DERM, the marketing budget was questioned. Staff clarified that $100,000 is for Biscayne Bay marketing and $250,000 for extreme heat public messaging, which a commissioner argued could be handled by other departments.
  • Library Department (Director Ray Baker): Budget remains flat; head count will decrease by one position. Reported 50 branches, 817 employees (34% part‑time). Emphasis on maintaining service hours and aggressive grant seeking.
  • Water & Sewer Department (Roy – Director of Strategic Initiatives): Presented a proposed rate increase reduction from 6% to 3.5% after finding $20.9 M in recurring savings. The increase is entirely for capital improvements; no operational increase. Impact: $0.44/month for minimum users, $0.87/month for average single‑family homes. All $560 M in projects are mandated (consent decree, ocean outfall legislation). No further cuts possible without delaying projects.

• Item 1G1 – Water & Sewer Security Ordinance:
  Amended Sections 32‑171 and 32‑172 of the county code. New identification cards will not need yearly reissuance, saving about $30,000 annually and improving security with zone‑specific access. Passed unanimously (5‑0).

• Item 3C – Transit CAD/AVL System Contract:
  Commissioner Gonzalez pulled the item for discussion. DTPW Chief Strategy Officer Beth Goldsmith explained that the contract supports the Clever CAD/AVL system, critical for dispatch and vehicle tracking. A five‑year extension ($11 M) is needed while the county prepares an RFP for a replacement system, including a proof‑of‑concept phase. Discussion emphasized avoiding past technology pitfalls and the importance of competitive procurement. Item approved 4‑0.

Key Outcomes

• Votes & Decisions:
  • Item 1G1 (Water & Sewer security ordinance): Passed 5‑0.
  • Item 3C (Transit CAD/AVL contract): Forwarded to BCC 4‑0.
  • All other non‑public hearing items (except 3H) were moved en bloc to full BCC with favorable recommendations.
• Directives:
  • Chairwoman Regalado asked the port and fire department to consider offsetting fireboat costs by waiving the port’s annual rent ($103,680) for the fireboat mooring.
  • Commissioner Milian Orbis requested all responses to her questions (regarding advertising/marketing breakdowns) be provided in writing before the final budget vote.
  • Commissioner Milian Orbis asked the county attorney to prepare an item freezing all non‑required advertising and marketing.
• Next Steps: The full Board of County Commissioners will consider all forwarded items at an upcoming meeting. The final budget hearing is scheduled for approximately one week after this committee meeting.