An ethics battle is brewing between the Village of Palmetto Bay and Miami-Dade County over the construction of the SW 87th Avenue Bridge, originally budgeted at $3.1M, after a $550,00 change order pushed the project's price tag to a hefty $5.5 million.
Last week, the Village of Palmetto Bay filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics, accusing Miami-Dade and a senior official in the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) of intentionally concealing the change order of the bridge project above the legal threshold requiring public approval.
Village officials claim the change order was deliberately concealed to bypass mandatory oversight by the County Commission and hide the project's true cost from residents. At its crux, the controversy stirs up transparency and trust of local government at the expense of the taxpayer, a far too shady occurrence.
Palmetto Bay has long rejected the bridge, citing concerns over increased traffic, environmental changes, and the potential to change the community's charm. Palmetto Bay is located about 15 miles south of Miami.
"This is not just about one bridge," a Village spokesperson said. "This is about following the rules. The County Charter and procurement code are there to protect the public from exactly this kind of backdoor dealing. When government officials look for ways to dodge public oversight, it erodes trust."
Where did this all start?
In February 2021, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved a resolution to construct the vehicular bridge over the C-100 Canal, linking SW 164th Street to SW 163rd Terrace.
Awarded to Magnum Construction Management, LLC (MCM), the project's budget was set at $3.1 million. If they sound familiar, MCM, also known as Munilla Construction Management, faced national scrutiny over the 2018 pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University.
While the tragedy at FIU killed six people, MCM seemingly dodged responsibility over safety protocols and practices, even though the company had questionable experience in similar projects to begin with.
Instead of going with a different company, MCM was granted the rights to the bridge project, despite its suspect record. So if you thought the $3.1 million budget price tag was sticking, think again.
According to documents obtained by the Village and submitted in the ethics complaint, the project cost ballooned to $4.99 million, or about $1.89 million over the original plan. However, the new $4.99 million budget was still under the $5 million cap set by Section 2-8.1 of the County Code, which calls for BCC approval for contracts above that threshold.
So while living on the edge, the proposal still complied with the rules. But money seemingly grows on palm trees in Miami-Dade, so the county wasn't done.
In June 2024, a $550,000 change order was approved, allegedly due to delays associated with extended permitting by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. So by the math, the project's budget increased a whopping 77% from beginning to end.
Chalk it up to project budget underestimation. After all, when doesn't local government go overboard when dealing with your money?
But here lies the bigger problem.
According to internal emails in the complaint, an Administrative Officer at DTPW asked colleagues how to go through with the change order "without going to the BCC." In response, a project manager said the department would "take care" of the matter internally.
After a review, a Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (OIG) report determined the Village's inquiry was valid, finding the change order increased the project above $5 million. Therefore, the discovery must be brought to the BCC for approval.
The Florida Commission on Ethics is currently reviewing the complaint. Moreover, Palmetto Bay is still calling for a public hearing before the BCC on the $550,000 addition.
Stay tuned.
