As Miami-Dade County commissioners prepare to finalize next year’s budget, a growing debate is emerging over how the county should respond to a potential loss of property-tax revenue — and whether residents should expect fewer services or tighter government spending.
Labor groups warn proposed cuts could hit transit and other services, while residents question county spending and demand greater oversight.
As Miami-Dade County commissioners prepare to finalize next year’s budget, a growing debate is emerging over how the county should respond to a potential loss of property-tax revenue — and whether residents should expect fewer services or tighter government spending.
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WATCH HEREThe county’s budget process comes as voters prepare to consider Amendment 3, a proposal that would increase Florida’s homestead exemption for homeowners.
Local government leaders have warned that if the amendment passes, counties and other local governments could lose significant property-tax revenue, potentially forcing them to reduce spending or services.
Prior to a budget hearing Thursday, labor unions and community organizations gathered to highlight what they describe as an affordability crisis already affecting South Florida residents.
Jeffery Mitchell, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, pointed to the rising cost of basic necessities, including housing, insurance, groceries, gas, child care, transportation and health care.
The groups say additional cuts to local government services could make those pressures worse.
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“Our water bills are going to go up, our garbage is going to go up, our garbage might be privatized,” said Martha Baker, president of SEIU.
The potential impact on public transportation has become one of the biggest points of contention.
The Transport Workers Union says current Miami-Dade budget proposals would eliminate 12 bus routes and affect thousands of weekday bus rides, potentially impacting millions of passenger trips over the course of a year.
“This budget does more than cut bus routes,” said Joseph D’Elia of the Transport Workers Union. “It cuts the length between workers and their paychecks.”
Supporters of maintaining government services argue that transit is particularly important for residents who depend on public transportation to get to work.
But not everyone in the budget debate believes the solution is simply to maintain current spending.
Some Miami-Dade residents say the county should take a closer look at how taxpayer money is being spent before cutting services.
Jessica Johnson said she has been examining publicly available county budget documents on her own.
Johnson and her husband reviewed three documents containing more than
300 pages of spending information.
She said the documents raised questions about some county expenditures, including what she described as a $17 million budget for performers.
“I can’t say that anything is being done on purpose, but there definitely has to be more oversight,” Johnson said.
Her husband, Brian Hollenbeck, also questioned travel spending, saying he found what appeared to be several times the expected budget for travel expenses associated with conventions around the world.
“There is like golf equipment in there for half a million dollars,”
Hollenbeck said.
The couple says they want greater transparency and accountability from county government.
“They need to shape up,” Hollenbeck said. “They need transparency and accountability.”
Miami-Dade County commissioners are scheduled to hold their second budget hearing on September 17, 2026, as the county moves toward adoption of its next budget.
