MIAMI. – The Hialeah Council unanimously approved a resolution to oppose the initiative of the county mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, to put a bond for 2.5 billion dollars for the 305 Future Ready “critical infrastructure” and “climate change” program which would raise taxes on Miami-Dade residents.
“We want to let Mayor Levine Cava and the County Commissioners know that Hialeah does not support their proposal to request a $2.5 billion bond. County residents already bear quite a few financial burdens as a result of increased taxes. Miami-Dade has a budget of more than 11 billion dollars and I do not see the need to assume more debts that residents will have to pay,” said Councilor Jacqueline García Rover when presenting the resolution, this Tuesday, February 13.
Councilwoman Angélica Pacheco tried to inquire into the details of the referendum, but no one at the meeting seemed to know for sure its scope, although everyone agreed that it would raise taxes on residents.
“The reason we don’t have information is because the mayor (Levine-Cava) hasn’t given any. She has only spoken in a very general way about this matter,” indicated Esteban Bovo, mayor of the municipality.
“But I’m going to tell you exactly what will happen,” Bovo said, “they will use the $2.5 billion to buy votes. With that money they are going to buy this group and that one. “It’s something we’ve seen before.”
“The county will go to every non-governmental organization and offer them money. They will not do it through bonds, they will send you the money through the budget to buy your support. This is very dangerous because, in the end, those who are going to pay for this are the homeowners and the rental tenants when their monthly payments go up,” said Bovo, before calling on Miami-Dade commissioners to oppose the referendum.
“The reality is that there is no plan for the use of the money,” said county commissioner René García when speaking at the meeting.
The commissioner emphasized the amount of the county’s budget “is larger than that of some states, it is larger than that of some nations.” “Yet they continue to ask for more money.”
“What we have to do is manage money better. You just have to look at the number of jobs that are still open in the County.”
“When we see the problems with water and sewage, with the airport, with the roads. When we see that half of the County building is empty, because everyone is working from home, I don’t know how they keep asking for more money. What we have to do is manage well,” García insisted.
“They talk about investing in sewage, because the city of Hialeah invested its funds to connect to the sewer. So, they ask us to pay what others have not wanted to assume. The residents of our community can’t take it anymore,” García indicated, showing his support for the resolution and promising that he will oppose the mayor’s proposal in the Commission.
Last January, Levine Cava in his State of the County address announced that he would present to voters a $2.5 billion “responsible and targeted bond” initiative that will finance pressing challenges such as affordable housing, septic tank removal, and flood projects.
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