Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Meeting - June 3, 2025
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Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Meeting - June 3, 2025
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners met on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, starting at 9:30 AM. The agenda included mayoral appointments, ceremonial proclamations, public hearings, numerous ordinances for first and second reading, and departmental resolutions. Several items ignited lengthy debates on fiscal prudence, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) compliance, auditing standards, and transparency.
Consent Calendar
- The Board unanimously confirmed Christina White as Director of the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and Jay Fink as Director of the Water and Sewer Department.
- Various district-level CBO discretionary reserve allocations were approved.
- Routine departmental consent items were adopted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Priscilla Schmidt (Fertile Earth Worm Farm) spoke against proposed solid waste tax increases, advocating for composting as an alternative to exporting waste.
- Kayla Jones expressed support for using county land for affordable housing (Item 5A) but strongly criticized the county's eminent domain process on NE 159th Street, stating it threatens working-class families.
- Bruce Lamberto criticized the noticing process for a related transportation project (Item 8N1), calling it "abysmal."
- Nicoleta Acosta spoke about inadequate conditions at the county's Medley animal shelter facility.
Discussion Items
Solid Waste Assessment Ordinance (Item 4J) – Failed on First Reading (6-7)
- The ordinance to ratify the non-ad valorem assessment rolls and rates for the solid waste collection service area failed on a vote of 6-7.
- Commissioner Oliver Gilbert argued that failing to pass a fee that covers costs would repeat past fiscal mismanagement.
- Commissioner Raquel Regalado opposed the uniform flat rate, arguing that pickup costs and recycling performance vary by area and should be considered.
- The Mayor warned that re-noticing could cost an estimated $2 million. The County Attorney confirmed a new vehicle could be brought for first reading on June 26th.
- A motion to reconsider failed 6-7.
Financial Audits & Transparency Ordinance (Item 7C) – Passed (11-1)
- An ordinance requiring annual independent financial audits for certain county boards was adopted on second reading.
- Commissioner Eileen Higgins successfully moved to exclude Vizcaya Museum, noting its existing contractual obligations for outside audits.
- Commissioner Gilbert added an amendment allowing organizations with existing audit obligations (by contract, bylaw, or federal law) to satisfy the ordinance with those audits, excluding them from the Mayor's "management watch" powers.
- Sponsor Cohen Higgins accepted the amendment, aligning the ordinance with Florida Statute financial thresholds.
- Commissioner Regalado dissented, citing procedural concerns over notice to impacted parties.
Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Compliance
- North Miami Beach CRA Budget (8G3): Commissioner Gilbert revealed the CRA spent funds before Board approval, violating its interlocal agreement. Commissioner Marleine Bastien requested immediate approval, committing to renegotiate the interlocal to require a county commissioner on the board. Gilbert accepted the commitment, warning of non-compliance enforcement if unmet.
- Naranja Lakes CRA Budget (8G5): Commissioner Cohen Higgins questioned a $200,000 executive director contract. The executive director clarified the fee replaced a prior OMB service line and included support staff. The budget passed.
Brickell Library (Item 2B3)
- Commissioner Eileen Higgins moved to direct the Mayor to open a library in the Brickell area. The motion to identify a site and open a library within 30 months was approved, contingent upon quarterly reporting and funding identification in a future budget.
County Commissioner Items
- Leave Donation to Love Trust (11A7): Passed to allow county employees to donate accrued leave value to assist law enforcement families, contingent on standard county leave payout policies.
- Overtown Business Grants (11A9): A $900,000 grant to Kamal Hospitality Group passed 11-2. Senator Rene Garcia voted no, stating public funds should not be used for a private food truck.
- Utility Easements: Commissioner Gilbert passed a motion to convey utility easements for an affordable housing development, following an earlier policy discussion by Commissioner Regalado on the need for future sewer infrastructure access.
Key Outcomes
- Solid Waste Assessment (4J): Failed on first reading (6-7).
- Financial Transparency (7C): Passed on second reading (11-1).
- Surplus Property Conveyance (5A): Passed (12-1).
- NMB CRA Budget (8G3): Passed with condition to renegotiate interlocal.
- Overtown Business Grant (11A9): Passed (11-2).
- Mobility Sourcing Program (8N5): Passed (7-1).
- Various Special Taxing District assessments (4E, 4G, 4H, 4I): Passed on first reading with split votes (10-3, 11-2, 10-3, 10-3).
- Brickell Library Motion (2B3): Approved.
- Chair Anthony Rodriguez directed accessing a state contract for hurricane shelter services for special needs populations.
- The Board extended the approval period for all eligible legislative requests from various commissioners.
- Commissioner Milian Orbis secured a reappointment to the Cultural Affairs Council.
Meeting Transcript
Oh, e for butt about it, right, graduates? We need to keep this going, Madam Mayor. And thank you. And to echo the words of this commissioner, you are the constituents. You are the ones for whom we serve. Without you, there would be no government. And you are the ones that hold us accountable. So you're the consumers. We have to help you to be active voices so we know what to do. How will we know what's important to our community if we don't make time to share with you what's happening and get your feedback, get your ideas. I spoke to one of the participants who said that she learned from this course that actually citizens can work with their legislators to create legislation to get things done. Imagine that. Right? How do we get our ideas? We get it from our time in the community. So Commissioner and I have been together for over 40 years, about 40. Okay, you got it. 43. We've been doing this in the community, and both of us, and this is historic because no other commissioners were like us, came on the commission from our time in service as active advocates for the community. So that is why we believe in this so much. Finally, I will say this, and I have a few thank you still. But when the people lead, the leaders follow. We need you. Without you, there is no trust. Without you sharing with your friends, neighbors, colleagues, family, that there is a government that's here to serve. They just think we're all the same, right? That we're not we're not responsive, we're not accountable, but that's not true. We are here to learn from you, to hear from you, to work with you to make a better community for all. So we are very, very grateful for your participation. And to those who helped to design this program, okay, we had 20 sessions that were held in five parts of the county in three languages, English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, as well as ASL was available for those uh to make it truly accessible. It was online as well as in person, and we're going to be posting those sessions, right? We worked with an incredible group of nonprofits to move this forward. The Cuban American Bar Association, Pro Bono Legal Services, the Family Action Network Movement, FAM. Catalyst Miami, my baby. Santla Haitian Neighborhood Center. Thank you. And as I mentioned, the University Partners, the University of Miami, and the Maurice A. Forey Institute for Civic Leadership at FIU. So everybody brought knowledge, everybody brought deep, deep commitment to the community and engagement. And as the commissioner said, we welcomed everybody. This was for everybody. So uh I want to finally say thank you to my team. Okay, the work was led in my office by our deputy chief of staff, Cassandra Arnold. Cassandra, you are fierce. You are tireless. And with the incredible uh support of Akilah Passei, where's Akilah? Um, I know many others were here on our team. I say mish I see Michelle Johnson. Many, many, many contributed to this great work. Our resident services team that hears every single day from our residents.
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