Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proposed a $12.9 billion budget for 2026 that includes cuts to address a $402 million deficit. Key proposals involve reduced hours for roadside landscaping crews, closing tax-funded senior centers, and a "Swim at Your Own Risk" policy at some parks. This budget marks the end of a period of increased spending due to COVID funding and high real estate values. With federal and state funds diminishing and home sales declining, Levine Cava suggests service reductions, layoffs, and fee hikes. The proposal will be reviewed and potentially modified by county commissioners in upcoming votes.
"We've been through some good times together, and now we face some challenges," Levine Cava said in a morning press conference at County Hall in downtown Miami.
Her $12.9 billion spending plan for 2026 ends five years of relatively flush spending in which federal COVID dollars flowed into the Miami area and real estate values boomed.
With Washington and Tallahassee cutting back and home sales cooling off, Levine Cava is proposing a series of service reductions, layoffs and fee increases to balance the 2026 budget.
County commissioners will vote to approve the final budget in September, so the Levine Cava proposal is just a starting point for months of negotiating, lobbying and public pressure over how Miami-Dade should spend its tax dollars.
Collection
[
|
...
]