During a public hearing Thursday, which lasted almost nine hours and ended after 2 a.m. Friday, to discuss the Miami-Dade County budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said public safety is her top priority.
🔴 LIVE NOW: The first public hearing for #OurCounty's Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget is underway. Watch here: https://t.co/bfOGBXPlgx
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) September 3, 2026
"Public safety remains our top priority, while we work to protect essential services and keep the County’s property tax rate flat," she wrote in an X post following the meeting, which she urged residents to attend to have their concerns and suggestions heard.
But public transit cuts were the focal point of discussion at the lengthy meeting, not pubic safety.
Mayor Levine Cava's proposed $14.3 billion budget, which featured controversial cuts to public transit, passed its first vote largely intact after hours of public comment and debate.
A dozen bus routes categorized as having low ridership, saving the county up to $9 million, and any pre-6 a.m. pick-up times would be cut under the plan, which generated a lot of backlash from people worried about how people without cars will get to their early-morning jobs.
Last year, Mayor Levine Cava proposed a 50-cent hike in bus fare, but it didn't pass and she declined to add it to this year's budget.
The cuts come as the mayor pushes back on Amendment 3, which would increase the homestead exemption for property taxes, and cut the county's tax revenue by several hundred million dollars, if passed.
Some big decisions regarding additional cuts will wait until after the November election when funding totals are more clear.
The commissioners also voted 7-6 to increase homeowner water rates by 6% across the county.
Overall spending for the proposed budget increased by 8%, primarily covered by revenue from Miami International Airport, PortMiami, trash and water bill fees and other non-tax fund. Tax-funded spending is up 4% as well.
The second and final budget hearing, where the budget will go through a final vote, is set for Sept. 17.
