Miami Commissioners approved a $2.5 billion budget Saturday after almost zero discussion and a weekend public hearing that lasted about two hours. They call it a $1.5 billion budget, but that’s just for operating expenses. The capital projects budget is almost another $981 mil. “This budget cuts taxes, meets our challenges, leverages our progress, and […]
If you don’t live within the city of Miami boundaries, don’t bother to care about its businesses or its residents or its history or its future. That’s what Commissioner Joe Carollo said Saturday when he dismissed a speaker at the budget hearing who was making a plea for more transparency and more sustainability funding. First, […]
About six hours after the first public hearing began Thursday, Miami-Dade Commissioners gave preliminary approval to the mayor’s $10 billion budget, which focuses on affordable housing, infrastructure and clean water while cutting the tax rate by 1%. “This year we will continue rebuilding our community and economy stronger than ever by prioritizing critical investments in […]
After about six hours of emotional public commentary and discussion among the Miami-Dade School Board members, the decision was made not to recognize October as LGBTQ History Month, as they had in 2021. A non-academic, mostly symbolic item that passed last year 7-1, failed this year 8-1, revealing a seismic shift in policy driven by […]
UPDATED: This story has been updated to add an additional name to the people on the list to replace Commissioner Joe Martinez. It’s just a matter of when. Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Wednesday, at a press conference about toll rebates, that he will eventually suspend Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who was charged last […]
Three ex mayors want to get their seats back In addition to the gubernatorial, congressional, and two county commission races, voters in some Miami-Dade municipalities will also be choosing local representatives for their town councils this November. There are three mayoral races, in particular, that expect to be interesting for one reason or another. In […]
Ouch! Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago must really not like Commissioner Jorge Fors. Because this week, Lago apparently endorsed his colleague’s opponent in the county commission race in District 6. In the Nov. 8 runoff, Lago instead backs Republican party operative Kevin Marino Cabrera, whose claim to fame was the day he tried to break […]
And has this been cooked so that his replacement does his bidding? Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez was charged with two felonies on Tuesday after a five-year investigation and posted bond. But he hasn’t resigned. Nor has he given any hint that he’s gonna. Will Martinez show up at the commission meeting on Thursday? Some people […]
Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez spent five hours in jail Tuesday after he was charged with unlawful compensation for having sponsored legislation to change county code restrictions in exchange for $15,000. Legislation is going cheap these days! Martinez told reporters as he left that he could not talk about the arrest yet, but would speak — […]
Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who is scheduled to surrender himself Tuesday to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office on a public corruption charge, is the victim of a political attack, says his lawyer in a pair of statements that question the timing. After a five-year investigation, criminal charges will be filed against Martinez Tuesday, Miami-Dade State […]