Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee Meeting - February 4, 2026
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Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee Meeting - February 4, 2026
The Miami-Dade Appropriations Committee met on February 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Commission Chambers. The meeting included a discussion on fiscal strategies for Community-Based Organization (CBO) funding, a public hearing on the Bond Committee ordinance, consideration of CRA budgets, and a deferred ordinance to create a CBO Trust Fund. Key decisions included deferring the CBO Trust Fund ordinance and forwarding several budget resolutions to the full Board of County Commissioners (BCC).
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval (Item 6A): The Clerk's summary of minutes for meetings on October 16, November 13, and December 10, 2025, were approved unanimously (5-0).
- CRA Budgets: The following FY 2025-2026 budgets were forwarded to the BCC with favorable recommendations:
- Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency: $13,439,743.00 (5-0).
- NW 79th Street Corridor Community Redevelopment Agency: $18,501,860.00 (5-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Thema Campbell (representing safety net CBOs, address 1600 NW 3rd Ave, Overtown): Expressed support for the trust fund legislation, stating that CBOs serve tens of thousands of residents across every zip code and commission district, providing 24/7 care for seniors, disabled individuals, homeless populations, and others in crisis. Emphasized that these organizations are the "first call and last line of defense."
- Beatrice Gonzalez (address 217 NW 15th St, Overtown): Thanked the Board for restoring the full $25.6 million in FY 2025-2026 CBO funding and urged that future budget reductions treat CBO funding as a "last resort."
Discussion Items
- 1F1 – Discussion on Fiscal Strategies for CBO Funding: Chairwoman Raquel A. Regalado led a discussion on alternative funding mechanisms, proposing creation of a CBO Trust Fund to provide predictability. She suggested using funds returned from constitutional officers (e.g., the tax collector) to seed the trust. Commissioners debated the merits:
- Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez supported a merit-based metrics system to reward high-impact CBOs and called for a return-on-investment analysis.
- Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis noted that a report on CBO funding and metrics is due April 1, 2026, and without it, she could not support the funding mechanism in Item 2A.
- Commissioner Micky Steinberg emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility and cautioned against committing all tax collector surplus funds, as reserves must also be funded.
- Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins questioned why Item 2A returned unchanged after three months, expressing frustration with lack of amendments.
- 2A – Ordinance Creating the CBO Trust Fund and Deduction: Prime Sponsor Kionne L. McGhee defended the item, stating the 2% deduction on eligible county purchases would not burden vendors or the community, citing existing models like the UAP. He proposed bifurcating the trust fund from the funding mechanism, creating the trust now and addressing funding later. The committee deferred the item after discussion.
Key Outcomes
- Deferred Item 2A: The ordinance to create the Miami-Dade CBO Trust Fund and a 2% deduction on county purchases was deferred to the April 15, 2026 committee meeting (5-0). The sponsor agreed to bring back a revised version incorporating input, including a separate trust fund creation and a later funding mechanism.
- Continued Discussion: The committee agreed to hold an additional discussion item at the next committee meeting (date not specified) to explore other funding sources, including potential use of tax collector surplus funds.
- Public Hearing Item 1G1 Passed: The ordinance amending the Building Better Communities Citizens’ Advisory Committee (removing county manager references and updating attendance language) was adopted on second reading and forwarded to the BCC with a favorable recommendation (5-0).
- Resolution 3A – West Perrine CRA Budget: Approved and forwarded to the BCC with a vote of 4-1 (Commissioner Cohen Higgins voted no).
- Resolutions 3B and 3C – Homestead and NW 79th Street CRA Budgets: Approved unanimously (5-0) and forwarded to the BCC.
Meeting Transcript
Mr. Clerk, if you could please call the roll. Sure thing. Good morning. Commissioner Gonzalez. Commissioner Milian Orbis. Commissioner Steinberg. Vice Chairwoman Gwen Heems. Chairwoman Regalado. Present. Every members present. We have a quorum. Wonderful. And with that, we'll start the appropriations committee. Commissioner Steinberg do the prayer. Perfect. Perfect. And then we'll do the pledge. One nation undergoing individual liberty and justice for all. All right, everyone. So, Mr. Attorney. I do not see any cards. Okay. So the So we're gonna open the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. We don't have any cards, so if there's anyone that wants to speak, um please come on down and state your name and address for the record. Yeah, we did we did have a yeah, we did have a public hearing um already on one of the items, and there hasn't been a change to 2A. But there's not a lot of people here, so if you want to speak on that, go ahead. Just let's not get going. Hello, good morning. My name is Thema Campbell, and I'm here on behalf of the um trust legislation. Can you hear me? Yes, we can, but we need your name and address for the record before you begin. We could before we start. Yes, address. Uh 1600 Northwest Third Avenue, Overtown. Miami Dade County 64 Safety Net Community Based organizations collectively serve tens of thousands of residents every year across every zip code and every commission district. Our services reach seniors aging alone, people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, young families struggling to make ends meet, children in crisis, survivors of trauma and abuse, low-income residents requiring mental health and legal services support, Holocaust survivors, immigrants, and residents facing and surviving trauma and crisis. Our doors are open in many cases, 24-7, 365 days per year through storms and other severe weather events. These organizations are often the first call, the first call, and the last line of defense for people who have nowhere else to turn. The work provided is frontline and care that keeps people alive, housed, fit, safety, and with dignity and a chance to survive and thrive. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Good morning, Beatrice Gonzalez, 217 Northwest 15th Street, Overtown, 33136. First of all, I'd like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners for its leadership and for restoring the full 25.6 million dollars fiscal year 2526 funding for Miami Dade safety net of community-based organizations. This investment sends a clear message that the county recognizes the essential role that we play in our decades and sometimes centuries long relationships in protecting the health, safety, and dignity of our most frail and vulnerable residents at the time of their greatest needs. We also urge that you each make a public commitment that should future budget challenges arise, funding for community-based organizations, the backbone of Miami Dade's human services system, be treated as a last resort for reductions. Together, we can ensure that Miami Dade remains a community where no one is left without support when they need it most. Thank you so much.
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