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AFTERNOON.[CALL TO ORDER]
YOU FOR COMING TO OUR COMMISSION MEETING TO FINALIZE OUR BUDGET, WHICH WE ARE STATUTORILY MANDATED TO DO BY TODAY,I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY CLERK TO, UH, GIVE US ANY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS.
WELCOME TO TODAY'S HYBRID COMMISSION MEETING.
THE CITY COMMISSION IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBERS AT MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL, 1700 CONVENTIONAL CENTER DRIVE.
THIRD FLOOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO ATTEND, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY.
IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, HERE'S, HERE'S HOW TO PARTICIPATE.
YOU CAN LOG IN USING THE ZOOM APP OR VISIT THE ZOOM US ON YOUR BROWSER.
YOU COULD ALSO CALL BY PHONE AT (305) 224-1968.
AGAIN, 3 0 5 2 2 4 19 68, OR TOLL FREE, 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4 9 9.
THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
AGAIN, THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM DURING THE MEETING, PLEASE CLICK THE RAISE HAND ICON IF IN THE ZOOM APP OR PRESS STAR NINE ON YOUR PHONE, THE ZOOM LINK WEBINAR ID AND PHONE NUMBERS STAY THE SAME FOR EVERY COMMISSION MEETING.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER CITY LOBBYIST REGULATIONS.
ALL LOBBYISTS MUST REGISTER WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF CITY HALL.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST IF YOU'RE AN EXPERT WITNESS, GIVING ONLY TECHNICAL OR SPECIALIZED TESTIMONY, A REPRESENTATIVE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR A NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUP SPEAKING WITHOUT PAY OR REIMBURSEMENT.
A PUBLIC OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE ACTING IN YOUR OFFICIAL ROLE.
SOMEONE REQUIRED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE BOARD OR COMMISSION, OR RESPONDING TO A CODE VIOLATION OR A PRIVATE CITIZEN SPEAKING ON YOUR OWN BEHALF WITHOUT COMPENSATION.
HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE AN EXPERT WITNESS OR A REPRESENTATIVE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD OR NONPROFIT GROUP, YOU MUST STILL SUBMIT A WRITTEN DISCLOSURE FORM TO THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK BEFORE SPEAKING WITH THE COMMISSION OR CITY STAFF.
THESE FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.
THERE ARE TWO MORE IMPORTANT POINTS TO COVER.
FIRST, IF A LOBBYIST GIVES OR AGREES TO GIVE ANYTHING OF VALUE AT $1,000 OR MORE TO A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR ITS REPRESENTATIVE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MATTER BEFORE THE CITY, THAT CON, THAT CONTRIBUTION MUST BE DISCLOSED IN WRITING TO THE CITY CLERK.
SECOND, CONTINGENCY FEES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
THAT MEANS NO ONE CAN OFFER OR ACCEPT PAYMENT THAT DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME OF A CITY DECISION.
FINALLY, IF YOU PLAN TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION TODAY, PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU SIGN IN FIRST.
YOU CAN USE THE SIGN IN SHEETS AT THE PODIUM OR THE, OR SCAN THE QR CODES TO SIGN INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE SUT HOUR.
UH, THESE ARE ALL PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS, SO, UH, FOR EVERY ITEM WE CALL AND THERE'S R SEVEN A THROUGH F, PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT ALSO WE HAVE THE OPEN FORUM WHERE YOU CAN COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT THE BUDGET RELATED ITEMS. UM, THIS IS A MULTI-MONTH PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH STARTING IN JUNE.
WE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON THE BUDGETED MILLAGE RATE AT OUR SEPTEMBER 17TH MEETING.
UM, FOR ALL THOSE, UH, LISTENING, OUR, OUR TAX RATE, OUR MILLAGE RATE IS STAYING THE SAME, UH, FLAT AS IT'S BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK OUR CHAIR HAS DONE, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE AND, AND RUNNING OUR FINANCE AND AND BUDGET COMMITTEE AND, AND THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
THE, OUR BUDGET FOCUSES, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY ON PUBLIC SAFETY, QUALITY OF LIFE, CLEANLINESS, CRITICAL SERVICES SUCH AS FIRE, POLICE, CODE COMPLIANCE, PARK RANGERS, AND OTHER SAFETY AND, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES.
SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR COMMISSION HAS DONE TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, HAVING MULTI, MULTI MEETINGS, PUBLIC MEETINGS LIKE THIS, AND OF COURSE, MANY, MANY MEETINGS, UH, UH, ON, ON ONE-ON-ONE TO, TO GET TO THE POINT.
AND THEN WE, OF COURSE, DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY IN A TRANSPARENT WAY.
SO LET'S OPEN IT UP TO US TO SUT.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON SUT, NICK, ON ANY ITEM, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
UH, OMAR JIMENEZ IS OUR FIRST CALLER ON ZOOM.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
MR. RAMIREZ, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
I'M A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COMMISSION IN GROUP ONE.
UH, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, OUR CITY BUDGET HAS GROWN BY 45%.
THIS YEAR, WE'LL ALSO HAVE A RECORD 2,330 MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, YET YEAR AFTER YEAR, THE CITY UNDER FUNDS, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, NEARLY 1.2 BILLION IN PROJECTS WILL GO UNFUNDED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE, UH, OVERSPENDING ON WASTEFUL VENTURES, LIKE 31 MILLION FOR A SCALED BACK LINCOLN ROAD PRO, UH, PEDESTRIAN PROJECT, HOPING IT BRINGS LINCOLN ROAD BACK TO ITS HEYDAY.
MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS FACE HIGHER TAXES, HIGHER RENTS, AND THEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS.
WHAT ABOUT THE TAXPAYER THAT KEEP THIS CITY RUNNING? WHEN DO WE START
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GIVING BACK TO THEM? INSTEAD OF WASTE AND HIGHER TAXES, I SUPPORT ROLLING BACK THE TAX RATE, NOT THE INCREASED PUSH BY STAFF.THIS SO-CALLED BALANCED BUDGET IS NOTHING MORE THAN A FARCE.
WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING FAIR RENTS AND INCENTIVES TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES THAT DON'T BURY RESIDENTS UNDER MORE FEES.
WE NEED THE, WE NEED TO INVEST IN EXPANSION OF OUR STAGNANT ECONOMY SO THAT WE'RE NOT SOLELY RELIANT ON TOURISM AND PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS.
YET YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE SEE BLOATED PAYROLL AND GROWING BUREAUCRACY DRIVING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OUT OF MIAMI BEACH.
IT'S TIME TO ELECT LEADERS WHO PUT PEOPLE OVER SPECIAL INTERESTS BECAUSE IF WE KEEP VOTING FOR THE SAME ESTABLISHMENT POLITICS, WE'LL KEEP GETTING THE SAME BROKEN RESULTS.
WE CANNOT KEEP REACHING INTO RESIDENTS POCKETS TO FUND WASTEFUL PROJECTS AND INFLATED SALARIES.
LET'S RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, ADDRESS LIVING COSTS, AND FINALLY MAKE THE CITY WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR THE INSIDERS.
IF THERE'S NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE WISHING TO SPEAK, I'M GONNA GO TO THE NEXT CALLER.
PAULA STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I HAVE TWO ADDRESSES, 3 45 OCEAN DRIVE AND 100 MERIDIAN AVENUE.
UM, I SECOND WHAT OMAR JUST SAID.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE CITY, THE BUDGET IS, UH, GROWING AND GROWING AND I AM ALL FOR SPENDING MONEY ON SAFETY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT I'M NOT FOR SPENDING MONEY ON IS EXTRA THINGS, ARTS THINGS, ART PROJECTS, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.
UH, YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT I, I REALLY DON'T GET IT.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE SUPPLEMENTING ARTISTS', UH, WAY OF LIFE.
YOU KNOW, LET THEM DO THEIR ART IF THEY WANNA DONATE IT, FINE.
IF PEOPLE WANNA SUPPORT THE MIAMI CITY BALLET, LET THEM DONATE OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS.
WE'RE TIRED OF GETTING ROBBED AS CITY TAXPAYERS ON STUFF THAT BENEFITS ONLY A FEW, IN MY OPINION.
UM, IT'S, YEAH, IT NEEDS TO STOP AND DESIGN.
I DON'T KNOW THESE LIKE FIRST STREET DESIGN PROJECT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DESIGN, BUT I'M HEARING IT'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS TO DESIGN IT.
ALL WE REALLY WANT ARE PUMPS AND PIPES THAT WORK.
WE REALLY DON'T CARE HOW PRETTY THEY ARE.
WE PAY ALL THESE DESIGN PEOPLE.
OH, DO YOU WANT THIS COVERING OR THIS ONE OR A WAVY OR THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT? FOR WHAT, HOW MUCH WE PAID 'EM A HUNDRED MILLION TO DESIGN SOMETHING THAT HADN'T EVEN BROKE GROUND YET.
TOO MUCH OF THAT STUFF GOES ON MEAT AND BONES.
WE'RE JUST TIRED OF PAYING AND PAYING AND PAYING AND EXACTLY SOME OF THE SALARIES ON THE CITY EMPLOYEES, IF IT'S COMPETITIVE FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THEIR EDUCATION.
I'VE SEEN SOME THAT SEEM QUITE BLOATED AND THAT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST STOP WITH THE EXTRA SPENDING.
IF IT'S NOT A BUDGET ITEM, IF SOME GROUP COMES UP AND SAYS, I WANT A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR EQUALITY SAVE.
IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, JUST LIKE IN OUR CONDO ASSOCIATIONS, IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, IT DOESN'T.
I JUST WANNA, FOR PEOPLE LISTENING, I JUST WANNA SET THE FACTS STRAIGHT.
UM, WHEN SOMEBODY TALKS ABOUT A DESIGN ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT COLOR IT'S GOING TO BE.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DESIGNING SOMETHING TO HAVE THE RIGHT SIZE PIPE FIT INTO THE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THE JOB IT'S NEEDED TO DO.
SO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, 'CAUSE WE ALL USE DESIGN, LIKE LET'S DESIGN A BIRTHDAY CAKE TO LOOK CUTE.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S USED FOR.
IN PUBLIC WORKS AND IN CITY BUDGETS, IT'S DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT IS BEING USED FROM TAXPAYERS TO MAKE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROADS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE BUILD AS A CITY SAFE AND FUNCTIONAL.
THAT'S THE DESIGN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS.
I LIVE 12 0 1 20TH STREET, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA.
WE JUST SPENT $42 MILLION ON A PARK THAT WE ALL JUST VISITED ON SUNDAY, AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS DETERIORATING.
WE TAKE ENOUGH TAXES, WE TAKE IN ENOUGH TAXES, BUT WE JUST MUST GET OUR SPENDING BACK UNDER CONTROL.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS MR. MITCH NOVIK.
MR. NOVIK STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
MITCH NOVIK, 9 0 1 COLLINS AVENUE.
I BELIEVE TWO TO 300 MILLION NEEDS TO BE CUT FROM OUR CITY BUDGET.
SINCE FORMER CITY MANAGER GEORGE GONZALEZ
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DEPARTED, WE'VE ADDED ROUGHLY 500 NEW EMPLOYEES AND HAVE WATCHED OUR BUDGET MORE THAN DOUBLE, ALL WHILE QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY HAVE DIMINISHED.THIS OCTOBER, TOMORROW, OR WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, RESIDENTS WILL SEE YET ANOTHER AUTOMATIC RATE INCREASE ON THEIR UTILITY BILLING ORDER STATEMENTS.
OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, WE'VE ENDURED 17 CONSECUTIVE HIKES AND NEW FEES, INCLUDING THE MONTHLY FIRE SPRINKLER FEE.
WE ALL KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION IS WAITING IN THE WINGS TO PUSH FOR MORE WHOPPING FEE HIKES AND RATE INCREASES, THEREBY MAKING MIAMI BEACH EVEN MORE UNAFFORDABLE.
IT'S TIME TO LOOK WITHIN AND STOP WALLOPING THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS CITY.
AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN SPEAKING, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
I'M GONNA CALL, UH, SOMEONE WITH A SCREEN NAME OF BREAK, DRIVE, BA BREAK DIVING.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UH, I WAS A FORMER COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE.
I DROPPED OUT RECENTLY, BUT I WANNA SHARE SEVEN OF MY, MY POINTS THAT I THINK WOULD HELP THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
I LIVE AT 1110 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE.
SO DOES MY MOM AT DIFFERENT APARTMENT.
AND WE ALSO OWN TWO CONDOS THAT WE RENT.
NUMBER ONE, THE SIDEWALKS ARE FILTHY.
I MOVED HERE FOUR YEARS AGO, IT'S INEXCUSABLE.
THIS IS NOT THE BRONX, AND YOU GUYS HAVE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HIRE A POWER WASHER.
THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE PLUMMETED.
UH, WE CAN'T GET AS MUCH RENT AS WE COULD BEFORE BACK IN 2021.
IF YOU RAISE THE TAXES, YOU'RE JUST HURTING EVERYBODY.
LANDLORDS AND TENANTS, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT.
THREE METRO MOVER HAS TO COME TO THE CITY.
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE.
AND I'M SORRY IF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT.
IF THE TRAFFIC HERE IS HORRIBLE ALREADY, IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE.
THE ONLY SOLUTION IS THE METRO MOVER, NOT A BUS METRO MOVER THAT RUNS ON ITS OWN TRACKS.
NUMBER FOUR, START FINDING PEOPLE FOR MARIJUANA USE IN PUBLIC ON THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
AND THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENS, ARREST THEM MISDEMEANOR.
IT'S DISGUSTING AND IT MAKES IT THIS PLACE FEEL VERY TRASHY.
NUMBER FIVE, TRAGEDY THAT THE MOVIE THEATER'S GONE AND THERE'S NO BOOKSTORE IN MIAMI BEACH.
THE MAYOR KEEPS TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS A WORLD CLASS CITY.
CITY HAS A MAJOR BOOKSTORE AND A MOVIE THEATER.
SO DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO BRING THEM BACK.
SIX, THE 18% REQUIRED TIP AT RESTAURANTS IS DISGUSTING, ESPECIALLY FOR RESIDENTS.
IT NEEDS TO GET GONE FOR EVERYBODY, BUT AT LEAST IF YOU LIVE HERE, NO MORE 18%.
'CAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO GO OUT AND EAT OUT HERE.
AND FINALLY, SEVEN, YOU NEED TO HAVE A LICENSE TO DRIVE AN ELECTRIC BIKE OR SCOOTER A REGULAR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
YOU NEED TO BE FOLLOW ALL THE TRAFFIC LAWS AND, UH, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE DYING PEOPLE.
SOMEONE JUST DIED AT MY CORNER ABOUT A MONTH AGO BECAUSE, UH, HE RAN THE RED LIGHT.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. VAN.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS SO YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
HI, MY NAME IS AVA FRANKEL, 70 LEGGO CIRCLE.
I'M RUNNING FOR COMMISSIONER IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION IN GROUP ONE.
UM, TO THE PERSON THAT JUST SPOKE, WE DON'T HAVE A MOVIE THEATER OR A BOOKSTORE, BUT WE DO HAVE A CHEESECAKE FACTORY.
AS WE ALL KNOW, FLORIDA DOES NOT HAVE STATE INCOME TAXES.
SO WHERE DO WE COLLECT REVENUE FROM? SALES TAXES AND PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THOSE ARE GREAT, BUT IF OUR SALES TAXES ARE DOWN, WHICH THEY ARE, AT LEAST I WOULD THINK THAT THEY ARE JUDGING BY THE VACANCIES, THEN WE NEED TO RAISE OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
NOW, I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE MORE UNTAPPED OPTIONS FOR THE CITY TO EARN REVENUE THAT WE JUST DON'T EVEN EXPLORE.
SO RECENTLY, WE JUST DID A $1 SUMMER PARKING PROGRAM TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME SPEND MONEY HERE.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE OFFERED THE SAME DISCOUNT WHILE ALSO INCREASING REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
I THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY ADDED A WATCH THIS ADVERTISEMENT FOR 50% OFF AND COLLECTED FROM THE ADVERTISERS AND ALSO OFFERED OUR RESIDENTS DISCOUNTS.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A CREATIVE SOLUTION THAT WE CAN HAVE TO EARN MORE REVENUE.
AND THEN I GUESS I HAVE 39 SECONDS LEFT, SO I'LL HURRY QUICKLY, BUT ONTO THE FLOODING AND DRAINAGE.
I REALLY HOPE THAT IN WHATEVER COMES, WE SEE MORE CHANNEL DRAINS RATHER THAN SINGLE POINT DRAINS.
AND I HOPE THAT WE SEE LESS ABOVE GROUND WATER STORAGE.
SO THE TANKS THAT ARE ABOVE GROUND THAT NEED PUMPS THAT REQUIRE ELECTRICITY,
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WHICH WE ALL KNOW ELECTRICITY IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO GO DURING A HURRICANE, WHICH IS WHEN WE NEED THE DRAINAGE TO WORK THE BEST.I HOPE THAT WE EXPLORE UNDERGROUND WATER TANKS, WHICH IS FEASIBLE AND POSSIBLE.
ALSO WWW.AVALOVESMIAMIBEACH.COM.
NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS TOM, UH, MAGONE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
THE ADDRESS IS 7 36 13TH STREET.
AND I'M CALLING IN TONIGHT JUST THE, THE MAYOR STARTED THE, THE CALL TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT NO INCREASE IN THE MILLAGE RATE.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT NUMBERS CAN BE VERY DECEIVING IN TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE SPUN.
AND SO IF I SAY THAT A NUMBER GOES FROM ONE TO TWO, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT.
BUT WHAT I DIDN'T HEAR THE MAYOR SAY REGARDING THE BUDGET IS THAT IT'S GONE FROM A BILLION TO 1,000,000,001 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY LARGE NUMBER.
AND I JUST ASKED THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS A NUMBER OF WHO HAVE BEEN ON FOR A NUMBER OF TERMS, HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH FOR THIS CITY? A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE MONEY.
AND LIKE THE OTHER PEOPLE SAID, AND AND EVEN RIGHT NOW, I THINK THERE'S THREE PEOPLE IN THE COMMISSION, TWO, TWO COMMISSIONERS AND AND THE MAYOR WHO ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY COMMENT FROM ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY OR HOW THEY'RE GONNA CUT EXPENSES SO THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO GETS INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES ISN'T GONNA BE AFFECTED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND WHAT BLOWS MY MIND MORE THAN ANYTHING IS THAT ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, THE POOR GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, THE GOVERNMENT IS REALLY INEFFICIENT.
I DID 109 INCH KITCHEN RENOVATION AND IT TOOK 13 INSPECTIONS TO GET IT DONE.
SO IF THIS COMMISSION OR MAYOR AREN'T CAPABLE OF DOING IT, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED NEW BLOOD.
OR MAYBE WE SHOULD CONTACT ELON MUSK AND HAVE DOGE COME IN AND LOOK AT THE CITY'S BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR, GO AHEAD.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I LIVE AT ONE 10 WASHINGTON AVENUE, APARTMENT 2 2 1 3, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 3 3 1 3 9.
I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK ABOUT ECONOMICS.
I DO ACTUALLY TEACH AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI.
I'M ON THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT, AND I ALSO TEACH FINTECH IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT ECONOMISTS DON'T LIKE TO ADD IN HIGH FOOD PRICES IN THE CORE PCE, WHICH IS WHAT EVERYBODY LOOKS AT IN TERMS OF INFLATION.
WE DON'T LIKE TO LOOK AT RISING UTILITY RATES, AS NOVAK POINTED OUT.
BUT WHAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT IS THE CONFLUENCE OF ALL THESE RISING PRICES AND RISING COSTS.
AND A LOT OF NOT-FOR-PROFITS ARE ADJUSTING THEIR BUDGETS.
I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT, MY ALMA MATER, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, THEY'RE BLENDING IN DEPARTMENTS.
WHY CAN'T THE CITY DO THE SAME? WHY CAN'T WE ADJUST? ACCORDING TO THE TIMES SOMEBODY POINTED OUT, REAL ESTATE PRICES ARE NO LONGER RISING.
WE NEED TO ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
WE CANNOT ASK TAXPAYERS TO CONTINUE TO FUND PROJECTS THAT DON'T MEET THE NEEDS OF THE TAXPAYERS.
MY POINT ABOUT SOCIAL FABRIC IS THAT WE'RE PUSHING PEOPLE AWAY FROM MIAMI BEACH BY NOT CONTROLLING PRICES.
THE CONFLUENCE OF RISING, IF YOU'RE, UH, AN OWNER, INSURANCE COSTS, HOA ASSESSMENTS, TAXES.
IF YOU'RE A RENTER, LESS QUALITY OF LIFE, LESS SERVICES OUT THERE, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY EMBRACE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO ADJUST WITH THE TIMES.
YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO TAX AND SPEND TAX AND SPEND TAX AND SPEND.
ECONOMICS ARE ABOUT LIMITED RESOURCES THERE.
FIND THAT RESOURCES, ACT ACCORDINGLY.
YOU NEED TO MAKE THE MOST WITH THE LEAST.
AND THAT'S THE REALITY OF LIFE.
SO WHY NOT ADJUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND PROVIDE BETTER VALUE? THANK YOU, SIR.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT CALLER IS QUENTIN WEISBERG.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I LIVE AT, UH, 4 5 6 0 ROYAL PALM AVENUE, MIAMI BEACH.
I'VE LIVED ON MIAMI BEACH MOST OF MY LIFE.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY, MY FEELINGS ABOUT WITH INSURANCE AND UTILITY COSTS ALREADY RISING AND, UM, THE STREETS FLOODING, THE SIDEWALKS BEING FLOODED, IT'S, IT'S, UH, JUST, UH, TOO MUCH.
UM, AND, AND TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES NOW.
UM, I URGE YOU NOT TO DO THAT AND TO
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HELP KEEP MIAMI BEACH AFFORDABLE.OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER IS SHARON.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
HI, UH, THIS IS SHARON WEISS, UH, 2 3 3 80 FIRST STREET.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR BUDGET FOR 80,000 PEOPLE IS ALMOST $1 BILLION.
THAT IS LIKE MIND BOGGLING TO ME.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY ONE OF YOU ON THE DA OR IN REAL ESTATE, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET.
UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A MASSIVE CONDO CRASH.
YOU GUYS BETTER TIGHTEN THE BELTS.
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO DO IT.
UM, AND, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HERE, TAX PAYING CITIZENS, WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COMES IN.
WE, WE HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS.
OUR MORTGAGE COMPANY DOESN'T JUST ADJUST OUR, OUR OUR PAYMENTS BECAUSE OF, OF A WHIM.
UH, THE INSURANCE COMPANY DOESN'T ADJUST A PAYMENT BECAUSE OF, UH, BECAUSE OF THEIR WHIM.
UM, WE, WE, WE BUDGET PERSONALLY, AND YOU GUYS SHOULD BUDGET.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, I CERTAINLY HOPE, HAS A BUDGET THAT YOU STICK TO IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES.
WHY IS IT WHEN IT'S OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY? IT'S JUST AN OPEN POCKET BOOK.
UM, I URGE YOU TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE.
UM, THERE, THERE'S NO REASON FOR OUR COSTS TO GO UP SO MUCH.
UM, I I, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN TWO MINUTES TO GET INTO ALL OF THE WAYS THAT, UM, YOU'RE OVERSPENDING AND WASTING MONEY.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNFATHOMABLE.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE, HAVE ME ALMOST UNABLE TO, TO FORM COHERENT SENTENCES O OVER HOW PUZZLED AND ANNOYED, ANGRY, UH, UH, JUST DISGUSTED THAT I AM.
PLEASE, UM, LISTEN TO ALL OF THE, UH, ALL OF THE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING IN AND SHARING OUR THOUGHTS WITH YOU.
UM, WE HAVE TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT.
THERE'S SO MUCH WASTE AND FLUFF.
UM, AND YOU NEED TO TREAT THE RESIDENTS WHO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS.
OUR NEXT VIRTUAL CALLER HAS A SCREEN NAME OF EZS IPHONE.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I'M AT 1500 OCEAN DRIVE, APARTMENT 10 0 6, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA.
I'M JUST CALLING TO, UM, AGREE WITH EVERYONE WHO'S SPOKEN SO FAR.
AND I THINK THAT MIAMI BEACH HAS JUST BECOME UNAFFORDABLE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AND YOU NEED TO LOOK AT CUTTING YOUR BUDGET INSTEAD OF INCREASING OUR TAXES.
I LIVE AT 2 27 MICHIGAN AVENUE.
UH, I'M LIKE A OVER 25 YEAR RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND I MEAN, I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU GUYS, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS WORKING RIGHT NOW? IS THIS A SUCCESSFULLY RUN CITY? 17 CONSECUTIVE RATE INCREASES? IT'S A $900 MILLION BUDGET FOR 80,000 PEOPLE.
WE HAVE VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COMING HERE, RENTING, UH, UH, HOTELS AND EATING OUT.
AND WE EVERY YEAR HAVE TO HIRE MORE AND MORE AND MORE EMPLOYEES.
AND I HATE TO SAY IT'S MAYBE ABUSE.
IT'S REALLY GROSS TO US AS CITIZENS WATCHING YEAR OVER YEAR, OUR DOLLARS BEING SPENT, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW.
SO MORE AND MORE EMPLOYEES, I DON'T BELIEVE MAKE A GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT.
MY BUILDING, IT'S SMALL, 28 UNITS.
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US OVER TWO YEARS TO GET OUR PERMIT TO REPLACE OUR FRONT DOOR.
AND GUESS WHAT? IN THE MEANTIME, THE GUY WHO WAS DOING THE WORK LOST THE PIECES AND EVERYTHING.
HE SAYS, OH, TWO YEARS TO GET THE, THE PERMIT.
I ASK YOU TO LOOK DEEP INSIDE YOURSELVES.
LOOK AT YOURSELVES IN THE MIRROR AND SAY, AM I DOING THE BEST I CAN? HAVE I LOWERED? CAN, CAN I CUT CORNERS MORE? THIS IS WHAT SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES DO, AND I ASK YOU TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND NOT LIKE A FLO SHOP.
HEY, WE'RE JUST SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY.
I ASK YOU TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE AND PLEASE HELP US DO NOT.
IT'LL JUST TRICKLE DOWN TO RAISING RENTS.
YOU THINK LINCOLN ROAD IS EMPTY NOW? WAIT TILL THE TAXES GO UP HIGHER.
YOU THINK WASHINGTON AVENUE IS EMPTYING NOW? THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CITY.
I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT CALLER IS IRENE BIGGER.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
[00:25:01]
THE ART DECO DISTRICT.I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED YET, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
THERE ARE MANY CREATIVE WAYS TO TAP INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TO ASSIST US TO PAY FOR MANY PROGRAMS IN OUR CITY.
AND, UM, WELL, A SMALL PORTION OF THE COST IN OUR CITY.
WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK INTO WHAT WE ARE GIVING AWAY VERSUS WHAT WE ARE GETTING FOR THE, FOR LEASING OUT OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
UM, NAMELY, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA OF SPECIAL EVENTS HERE IN MIAMI BEACH.
UH, AND JUST THE SECOND POINT I WANTED TO MENTION IS I DO BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER REVIEW OF WHERE OUR TAX MONEY IS GOING SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BETTER FUNCTION, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY AND BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
OUR NEXT CALLER IS VALERIE'S IPHONE.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UH, VALERIE OWEN, 1580 BAY ROAD, MIAMI.
UM, I CONCUR WITH EVERYONE THAT'S AGAINST THIS HIKE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT MANY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RUN AN APARTMENT BUILDING HERE.
AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT.
I MEAN, NOT ONLY RIGHT NOW IS THERE LIKE FOUR, 200 VACANT UNITS, BUT MY PROPERTY TAXES WENT UP ALMOST $10,000 IN A FEW YEARS.
AND I UNDERSTAND LIKE YOU WANNA THROW PARTIES AND HAVE FUN AND DO ALL THESE PARKS AND ALL THESE THINGS, BUT LIKE IRENE SAID, YOU NEED PUBLIC, PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTIONS.
I MEAN, THEY, EVERY SINGLE DAY I READ ABOUT ALL OF THESE EVENTS AND EVERYTHING, LIKE WE NEED MORE PRIVATE INVESTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE BENEFITING AND WE HAVE TO STOP JUST SPENDING MONEY LIKE DRUNKEN SAIL.
I MEANT LIKE WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER, BUT WE'RE NOT SAILORS, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OUR LAST CALLER IS JANET SILVERMAN.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
HI, MY NAME IS JANET SILVERMAN.
I LIVE AT 6 8 9 9 COLLINS AVENUE.
UM, I WANNA STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT I'M ON THE BOARD OF, UH, NORTH BEACH, UH, UH, ALLISON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, BUT I AM SPEAKING ON MY OWN AND HOPEFULLY I DON'T HAVE TO FILL OUT A FORM IN ORDER TO MAKE THE COMMENTS I'M GOING TO MAKE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I HEARD AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING THAT LIKE THE BUDGET IS NOT PREPARED ON A GROUNDS UP BASIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
THAT THE COMMISSION REALLY JUST APPROVES ENHANCEMENTS AND, AND REDUCTIONS FROM LINE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG.
AND I THINK THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT NO ONE'S LOOKING AT THE BUDGET ON A GROUNDS UP BASIS.
I ALSO LEARNED WHEN I WAS ON THE, UH, BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WE DO NO BENCHMARKING.
WE DON'T LOOK AT OUR COSTS AS COMPARED TO LIKE, KIND OF CITIES TO SEE IF MAYBE WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH ON SOMETHING.
MAYBE WE'RE NOT SPENDING ENOUGH.
BUT IT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I WORKED IN FINANCE FOR A LONG TIME AND WHEN I LOOKED AT A COMPANY I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS GO OR COMPANY.
I NEVER, UH, UH, INDUSTRY I NEVER SAW BEFORE.
I WOULD GO AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT SHOULD THIS LINE ITEM BE AS A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE OR AS WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE METRIC WAS? AND WE DON'T LOOK AT ANY OF THAT.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, PROBABLY A LOT OF BLOAT IN THE BUDGET AND I THINK THAT IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, BETTER CONSTRUCTED.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, UH, MAGAZINE, VICE MAYOR MAGAZINE.
UM, AS WAS LAID OUT, UH, TONIGHT WE ARE MANDATED TO PASS A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND WHAT I AM, UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF COMING INTO THIS YEAR.
WE KNEW SITTING IN THIS SEAT LAST YEAR, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT, THAT THIS WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT BUDGET YEAR.
WE HAD MULTIPLE UNION CONTRACTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE RENEGOTIATED AND SIGNIFICANTLY RAISED, AND THAT PUT US FROM OUT OF THE STARTING GATE INTO A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOLE.
SO ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE'VE BEEN MANAGING IN A DILIGENT FASHION, KNOWING THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS, UH, ON OUR BUDGET.
AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE.
I ECHO MANY OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT SOME PEOPLE CALLED IN WITH.
I AM GOING TO CORRECT THE RECORD ON A, UH, A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS.
BUT THE OVERALL SENTIMENT, BEFORE I GOT ELECTED, I WAS SHARING THESE SAME THINGS.
AND SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN SHARING THESE SAME THINGS.
[00:30:01]
ON ANYBODY.WE ARE TAXPAYERS, RIGHT? WE GET IN MINUSCULE AMOUNT TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, AND WE'RE PAYING WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT IN TAXES.
SO WE HAVE AN ALIGNED INTEREST.
AND IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH BATTLE BACK AND FORTH AT TIMES WITH CITY STAFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE DO NEED TO CONTROL OUR SPENDING.
AND I AM CONFIDENT AND PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THIS PAST YEAR.
WE HEAR LOUD AND CLEAR WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE, AND THE EMPHASIS AND THE PRIORITIES ON MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE PRUDENT SPENDING AT A GOVERNMENT LEVEL, ENHANCING OUR EFFICIENCIES.
AND WE HAVE STARTED MANY EFFORTS TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND BETTER SERVING OUR TAXPAYERS.
A GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MAKE WIDGETS.
IT DOESN'T MAKE IPHONES OR REFRIGERATORS.
IT MAKES MONEY ONE WAY TAXING PEOPLE.
SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND IS MONEY BEING TAXED, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EVEN GREATER APPRECIATION FOR WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM AND WHERE THAT MONEY GOES.
THAT BEING SAID, SEVERAL CALLERS ALLUDED TO IT.
I WANT TO MAKE THIS VERY LOUD AND CLEAR.
WE ABSOLUTELY ARE NOT RAISING YOUR TAXES HERE.
OUR MILLAGE RATE FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW, DESPITE MANY EXTERNAL PRESSURES, IS REMAINING FLAT.
NOW, AS HOME PROPERTIES INCREASE, YES, THAT PERCENTAGE APPLIED WILL LIKELY INCREASE.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY MIRRORS INFLATION FOR THE COST PRESSURES THAT WE FACE WITH, WITH THE CITY.
BUT I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER.
AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THIS EVEN CAME TO THE FOREFRONT, THIS COMMISSION, OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS PUT DIRECTIVES TO STAFF.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GO THROUGH THIS.
WE HAVE A LIST RIGHT HERE THAT WE DIRECTED OUR CITY MANAGER TO GO OUT AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
WE HAVE WHAT IS MANDATED BY LAW, BUT THAT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO US.
WE WANTED TO FIND A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR A RAINY DAY.
AND EVEN IF THE DAYS REMAIN SUNNY, WE HAVE TO RESPECT OUR TAXPAYER MONEY EVEN MORE.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE EXERCISE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CUTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MEETINGS.
SO WE ARE IN LOCK STEP WITH THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD FROM OUR RESIDENTS TONIGHT.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE TONIGHT IS AN EVEN ENHANCED FOCUS ON THAT OF MAKING GOVERNMENT SPENDING MORE EFFICIENT.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GO LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM AND SEE WHERE WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY ON A MORE EFFICIENT BASIS.
SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER, UH, WHERE WE GO WITH THIS.
ULTIMATELY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'LL ASK FOR CITY MAN, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOT PASS A BUDGET TODAY? WELL, THERE COULD BE SOME SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO THAT.
UH, FAILURE TO ADOPT A MILITATE AS REQUIRED BY THE STATUTE COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF STATE FUNDS.
UH, FAILURE TO ADAPT THE BUDGET.
UM, THAT'S A LITTLE MORE NUANCED.
BUT IF IT RESULTS IN A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY, AND THERE ARE VARIOUS, UM, INDICATORS THAT, THAT A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY HAS BEEN TRIGGERED COULD THEN RESULT IN OVERSIGHT BY THE GOVERNMENT, UH, BY THE GOVERNOR OR, OR BY A, A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED THING.
I I KNOW THAT, UM, THE CFO, UH, MADE SOME CALLS.
I, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO OTHER MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAS FAILED TO ADOPT A BUDGET OR A MILLAGE RATE.
UH, WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WOULD COME IN AND TAKE OVER THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
IT, IT, IT COULD HAPPEN IF, IF A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY IS DETERMINED TO HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS.
SO WHILE WE HAVE SPENT MONTHS ON FINDING EFFORTS TO DELIVER A MORE EFFICIENT BUDGET, AND WE'RE DOING SO WITHOUT RAISING OUR MILLAGE RATE FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW, TO SIT HERE THE 11TH HOUR AND CALL FOR NOT PASSING A BUDGET OR TO ROLL BACK OUR MILLAGE RATE, MR. CFO, THAT WOULD TAKE, IF WE ROLLED BACK OUR MILLAGE RATE A CUT OF WHAT, 17 TO $20 MILLION? YEAH, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WOULD BE ABOUT $21 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, I PHILOSOPHICALLY DON'T DISAGREE THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA AND I'VE LED SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT TO DO SO, OR PROPOSE THAT AT 6:00 PM THE NIGHT OF BUDGET IS MANDATED IS INCREDIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE.
WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD FOUR DIFFERENT BUDGET MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE ALL GIVEN DIRECTIVES TO OUR CITY MANAGER, OKAY? AND INCLUDED IN THAT IS
[00:35:01]
TO FIND $2 MILLION IN COST SAVINGS.AND WE COULD GO THROUGH EVERY ONE OF THESE ITEMS, BUT THE SIT UP HERE, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ROLL BACK $20 MILLION BECAUSE WE COULDN'T EVEN, WE DON'T HAVE LINE ITEM BY LINE GRANULARITY.
AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT WILL BE CHANGING.
I'M BRINGING A LEGISLATIVE ITEM.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MUCH TO MY DISMAY AT OUR SUB, UH, AT OUR JUNE BUDGET MEETING.
I, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WE DON'T HAVE INSIGHT INTO EVERY DOLLAR OF OUR GROUND UP BUDGET US UP HERE AS LEGISLATORS, AND THAT WILL BE CHANGING.
I'M GOING TO BE BRINGING THE LEGISLATIVE ITEM IN OCTOBER.
IT'S NOT GRANDSTANDING OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT FOR US TO TRULY KNOW WHAT'S IN OUR BUDGET, WE NEED TO GO DOLLAR BY DOLLAR.
AND IF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO JOIN ME IN THOSE INITIATIVES, I'M HAPPY TO LEAD THAT EFFORT.
BUT THAT CANNOT HAPPEN HERE AT 6:00 PM WE, AND WE TALKED THIS AFTERNOON, WE CAN PASS A BUDGET KEEPING OUR MILLAGE RATE FLAT, AND WE COULD DEDICATE TWO HOURS OF EVERY SINGLE FINANCE MEETING TO FINDING EFFICIENCIES IN GOVERNMENT.
AND IN FACT, I HAVE A LINE ITEM OR, UH, A LEGISLATION TO SPONSOR TURNING OUR BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE INTO OUR BUDGET ADVISORY AND GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE.
AND OUR FERC MEETINGS SHOULDN'T JUST BE SPENT ON HOW TO SPEND MONEY, BUT HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE MONEY THAT WE ALREADY TAKE IN.
OKAY? SO WHILE WE ARE MAKING TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF EFFORTS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS FROM A MIAMI BEACH GOVERNMENT, I AGREE.
WE TURNED AROUND AND WE LANDED ON A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET OVER THE YEARS, AND THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
I WILL NOT BE OKAY WITH THAT, AND I WILL CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS.
BUT TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT WE SHOULD VOTE NO ON A BUDGET AT 6:00 PM AND THEN HAVE THE STATE COME IN HERE, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY OUR BILLS TOMORROW.
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY PAYROLL.
WE'RE GONNA ASK OUR POLICE AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS TO COME IN TELLING THEM THEY'RE NOT GUARANTEED A PAYCHECK.
OKAY? OUR POLICE OFFICERS, IF WE VOTE NO ON THIS BUDGET, HAVE NO GUARANTEE THEY GET A PAYCHECK.
SO WE'RE GONNA ASK THEM TO COME IN AND KEEP OUR CITY SAFE, TELLING THEM WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO PAY THEM.
OKAY? SO I HEAR OUR TAXPAYERS LOUD AND CLEAR.
WE ALL HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THEM, RIGHT? AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE ON THESE EFFORTS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR BUDGET.
AND IF YOU'VE SEEN OUR MEETINGS OVER THE PAST YEAR, TWO YEARS, OR EVEN WHEN I CALLED IN, THAT IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST PERSONAL PREROGATIVES.
BUT YOU HAVE TO DO SO IN A SMART FASHION AND TO ROLL BACK OUR MILLAGE RATES, IF THAT WAS A TRUE INTENTION OF THIS BODY OR ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD'VE STARTED MONTHS AGO, NOT AT 6:00 PM WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET SIGNED IN SIX HOURS.
AND MAY I, MR. CHAIR, MAY I COMMENT ON THAT? YES.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SEVEN OF US WHO COME FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND HAVE ADDITIVE IDEAS TO TRY TO MAKE THE END GOAL BETTER.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL HERE FOR.
I MEAN, THREE OF US RAN, FOUR OF US RAN AT THE SAME TIME, UM, TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
WELL, ALL OF US RAN IT WHEN WE RAN TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, DAVID, JOE AND I, UM, WERE ELECTED AS, AS NEOPHYTE COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE THINGS BETTER BECAUSE WE SHARE A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE HEARD TODAY.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR PLATFORM IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO BE ADDITIVE TO THE GREATER GOOD.
IF YOU THINK SOMETHING ISN'T GOING THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO TALK ABOUT IT, COME TO THE BUDGET MEETINGS, COME TO THE WORKSHOPS, COME TO THE FERC MEETINGS.
I COULDN'T MAKE ONE OF THE BUDGET MEETINGS, UH, BECAUSE I WAS AT A WEDDING.
I WASN'T HERE, BUT I, I WAS PART OF THAT MEETING.
YOU BETTER BE SURE OF IT, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE.
WE ARE A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS.
AND IF ANY OF US IS TAKING IT LIGHTLY WITH, UM, PERFORMATIVE EMAILS THE MORNING OF THE DAY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, UM, MAKE THIS OFFICIAL, AS MY COLLEAGUES SAID, AND AS I'M SURE YOU'LL HEAR FROM MOST OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES,
BUT TO PUT EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE AS A CITY AT RISK FOR THE SAKE OF, OF, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE MOTIVATION IS, IS IRRESPONSIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT IS A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HEARD PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT A $42 MILLION
[00:40:01]
PARK THAT IS REALLY SPECTACULAR.DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET THAT PARK BUILT OVER 30 YEARS? AND DO YOU KNOW HOW WE FUNDED IT? THE TAXPAYERS WERE ASKED, HEY, WE CAN BUILD A PARK HERE.
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT, IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING A PARK HERE, IT'S GONNA COST 30 $42 MILLION.
I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH WAS IN THE GO BOND, BUT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A PARK HERE? AND OVERWHELMINGLY, THE CITY TAXPAYER SAID, YES, PLEASE, I WILL GIVE YOU SOME MORE OF MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO FUND THIS PARK.
SO YEAH, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE PARK.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, GO AS SOON AS THIS IS OVER.
BUT WE CHOSE TO TAX OURSELVES THAT PARK.
NOW, THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE BUDGET, WHICH IS WHY THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW DO WE SEE FROM THE GROUND UP EVERY LINE ITEM? HOW DO WE GET TO THE GRANULARITY? BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBABLY THINGS IN HERE THAT ARE HOLDOVERS FROM PAST INITIATIVES THAT ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY, OR DIRECTIONS THAT WE'RE NO LONGER GOING IN, OR THINGS THAT WE NO LONGER PRIORITIZE.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO GET THERE.
BUT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, AT THE 11TH HOUR AND THE 59TH MINUTE AND THE 59TH SECOND, IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO PASS THIS BUDGET AND WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT'S IRRESPONSIBLE.
SO JUST TO ECHO, UH, SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS, AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, WE'RE WE'RE NOT RAISING THE TAX RATE KNOWN AS THE, AS THE MILLAGE RATE.
WE HAVE STARTED TIGHTENING OUR BELTS, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO SO AS, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT YOU'RE CHAIRING THE, THE, THE, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND I LIKE YOUR NAME CHANGE AS WELL.
SO, UH, TO FOCUS ON EFFICIENCIES AND, AND WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
THE PROBLEM WITH CUTTING AND SLASHING AT THE LAST MINUTE, AS I THINK IS OBVIOUS, IS WE DO OFFER SOME GREAT SERVICES IN OUR CITY.
AND I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME FROM OUR RESIDENTS.
YOU CALL NINE ONE ONE, THE, THE PHONE CALL IS ANSWERED AND POLICE COME QUICKLY, FIRE COMES QUICKLY.
PUBLIC WORKS WHEREVER DEPARTMENT YOU CALL.
SO THAT DOESN'T, THERE I, I AM SO I AM AGREEING THAT THERE ARE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN DO, BUT THE WHOLESALE CUT AT THE LAST MINUTE, WE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS RIGHTLY DEMAND THAT WE PROVIDE FIRST CLASS SERVICES, WHICH WE DO.
SO IT HAS TO BE DONE, UH, DELIBERATELY, AND WE'LL GET IT DONE AND WE'LL DO IT.
UM, AND PARTLY IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S BEEN STARTED.
WE'VE, THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS.
WE MANDATED SOME CUTS, UH, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
AND UNLIKE, UH, I'M NOT GONNA START NAMING IT, BUT THE COUNTY HAD TO DO IT.
THE COUNTY HAD TO SLASH DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, AND, AND A LOT TO GET DOWN.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE DESPITE SOME OF THE, UH, EXTRA EXPENDITURES, UH, WE ARE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE DO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, UH, THAT IF, IF OUR BODY, UH, CONCURS, WE CAN PASS TODAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.
MR. MAYOR, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS AND SPECIAL INTEREST TOO OFTEN IN CITY HALL GET OUR FULL ATTENTION AND THE RESIDENTS AND THE VERY PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE RAISE FAMILIES HERE AND PAY THE BILLS HERE, FEEL IGNORED AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY.
WE MAY HEAR THEM, BUT DO WE REALLY LISTEN TO THEM? I'M HERE TODAY TO BE THEIR VOICE.
OVER 60 MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS EMAILED ME, NOT A SINGLE ONE SAID, PLEASE RAISE MY TAXES.
INSTEAD, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE VERY SAME THINGS WE ALL WORRY ABOUT, SKYROCKETING HOUSING COSTS, CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT JUST KEEPS ON GETTING BIGGER AND MORE BLOATED.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
THE TRUTH IS RIGHT IN THE TITLE OF THE RESOLUTION, FINAL AD VALOR MILLAGE OF 5.702 MILLS, WHICH IS 6.5% MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE, 6.5%.
THAT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE THE OFFICIAL INFLATION RATE OF 2.9.
AT THAT PACE, OUR CITY BUDGET WILL DOUBLE IN JUST 10 YEARS.
TELL ME HOW MANY FAMILIES IN MIAMI BEACH CAN AFFORD TO DOUBLE THEIR HOUSING SPENDING IN 10 YEARS.
IF WE CAN'T, WHY SHOULD GOVERNMENT? THIS KIND OF GROWTH ISN'T JUST RECKLESS, IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE.
IF RESIDENTS HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS, IT SHOWS SO SHOULD CITY HALL, THE TRUTH IS ANOTHER DOWNTURN WILL COME TO MIAMI BEACH.
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING SIGNS IN THE HOUSING MARKET.
WE CAN'T KEEP PRETENDING EVERYTHING IS FINE WHILE DIGGING DEEPER INTO
[00:45:01]
TAXPAYER'S POCKETS AND EXPECTING THEM TO CARRY THE BURDEN.IT'S TIME TO CUT INEFFICIENCIES, TRIM THE FAT, AND GET BACK TO BASICS.
FIXING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROTECTING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
BECAUSE LET'S BE HONEST, WE CAN'T FUND EVERY PROGRAM IN THE WORLD, BUT IF OUR STREETS ARE FLOODING, OUR BUILDINGS ARE CRUMBLING AND OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE, THEN WHAT GOOD IS IT? WE ALREADY KNOW THE MAJOR.
WE ALL, WE ARE ALREADY THE ONLY MAJOR CITY IN FLORIDA THAT'S LOSING POPULATION.
LET THAT SINK IN FOR A MINUTE.
AND WHY BE BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE ANYMORE.
THAT SHOULD SHAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US AWAKE.
AND BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THE VOICES OF RESIDENTS WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT ARE STILL HEARD.
I'D LIKE TO READ INTO THE RECORD SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS, REAL CONCERNS FROM PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAND AT THIS PODIUM OR BE ABLE TO CALL INTO ZOOM AND WANT THEIR VOICES REPRESENTED.
I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH FOR 22 YEARS, AND HAVE SEEN HOW WE ARE BEING FORCED OUT OF THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF HOAS FEES AND TAXES.
I'M CLOSE TO RETIREMENT AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE LIVING IN MY BEACH, BUT IF THESE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE, I'LL BE FORCED OUT AS WELL.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND WHEN VOTING FOR THIS MILITARY TONIGHT.
AS EVERYONE KNOWS, PROPERTY VALUES HAVE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE COVID OUTBREAK DURING WHICH MIAMI REAL ESTATE PROSPERED.
MY PROPOSED PROPERTY VALUE DECREASED FROM LAST YEAR, BUT MY TAXES WILL INCREASE.
IF I HAVE ONE VOTE, I VOTE AGAINST THIS TAX INCREASE.
MY NAME IS GERSHON SAPEN AND I'M BORN AND RAISED IN MIAMI BEACH, MY FAMILY AND ARE OWNER OCCUPANTS IN THE LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.
I ALSO OWN A CONDO AT SOUTH BEACH.
IT IS RENTED TO A REALLY WONDERFUL COUPLE, A DOCTOR AND A NUTRITIONIST WHO ARE GREAT TENANTS AND JUST REALLY GREAT PEOPLE.
THEY EXEMPLIFY WHO ANY CITY WOULD WISH AS RESIDENTS.
THE CITY'S PROPOSAL TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES IS A BURDEN ON PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, OUR TENANTS, ALSO LIFELONG SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTS.
DESPITE A FEW YEARS OF INCREASED RENTS, THE REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS STARTED TO SOFTEN, MAYBE NOT FOR THE ULTRA RICH, BUT DEFINITELY FOR US REGULAR FOLK.
SIX MONTHS AGO, I LOWERED THE RENT OF MY UNIT, A RATE THAT WAS COMPETITIVE TO BEGIN WITH IN ORDER TO KEEP MY TENANTS FROM LEAVING.
THERE IS NO CHANCE I'LL BE ABLE TO PASS THESE COSTS ON FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, EVEN IF I WANTED TO.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REDUCE WASTE AND GOVERNMENT BLOAT NOT KEEP TAXING ITS CONSTITUENTS.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WE WE CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS INCREASE FROM HAPPENING.
I HAVE A WHOLE STACK OF THIS, OKAY? A WHOLE STACK.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT WAITING TILL THE 11TH HOUR, LET ME REMIND YOU, MARCH 19TH, 2025, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I SPONSORED.
REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS IMPLEMENTING A FLAT BUDGET WITH A CPI ADJUSTMENT TO FULLY FUND INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWER PROPERTY TAXES AND CONTROL GENERAL FUND SPENDING.
WHERE IS THAT? WHERE IS THAT? I HAVE ANOTHER ONE.
DIDN'T OUR BUDGET RETREAT MEETING JUNE 25TH.
YOU DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP JUNE 25TH.
YOU DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP TO THE BUDGET RETREAT MEETINGS TO, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE.
SO DON'T WHERE IT IS AT FIRST.
EXCUSE ME, I'M SPEAKING A SECOND.
REFERRAL TO THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE INSTITUTION OF A TEMPORARY HIRING FREEZE FOR NON-ESSENTIAL POSITIONS.
WHERE ARE THESE? WHERE ARE THESE? THEY'RE NOT BEING CALLED.
AND SO FOR ANYONE HERE TO SIT AND LECTURE ME THAT I'M WAITING TILL THE 11TH HOUR IS RIDICULOUS.
AND IT'S OFFENSIVE TO THE VOTERS HERE.
NOW, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE WHY THE STATE OF FLORIDA WANTS TO CUT PROPERTY TAXES.
I CAN SEE WHY, BECAUSE WE JUST KEEP ON SPENDING AND SPENDING AND SPENDING.
AND THEN FOR US TO SAY, WELL, IT'S THE 11TH HOUR.
I'M READY TO STAY HERE ALL NIGHT AND SAVE $20 MILLION.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I COULD STAY HERE ALL NIGHT AND FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO TO SAVE $20 MILLION.
I WANNA SAVE, I WANNA SAVE THE CITY SOME MONEY.
AND I CAN, I CAN START WITH A PERFECT, I I CAN START WITH A PERFECT EXAMPLE,
[00:50:01]
AND THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, OKAY? CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, 25.FOR THOSE OF YOU LISTENING, DO YOU KNOW THAT WE SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND GIVING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS GRANTS FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
600,000 OF THAT GOES TO OUT OF THE CITY GROUPS, BALLET, FLAMENCO, LAROSA ARMORED DANCE THEATER, MIAMI HISPANIC BALLET GROUP, PETER LONDON GLOBAL COMPANY, ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL, MIAMI SHORT FILM FESTIVAL.
I I MEAN, THERE'S A WHOLE LIST.
WE SPEND $600,000 A YEAR AND WORSE, WE HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE FULL-TIME PENSION AND BENEFITS TO GIVE THESE THESE GRANTS OUT EVERY YEAR.
AND IT ENDS UP BEING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE GIVE OUT THE SAME THING AND WE HAVE TO PAY SOMEONE A FULL PENSION AND, AND, AND BENEFIT SALARY JUST TO GIVE OUT THIS MONEY.
WE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
OKAY, WHAT OTHER THINGS DO WE SPEND ON? THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
JUST THE OTHER DAY WE TALKED ABOUT HOW ABOUT WE, WE THAT JUST, EXCUSE ME, JUST THE OTHER DAY.
WE SPEND, WE SPEND, HOW ABOUT WE, WE SPEND MONEY ON, LISTEN, WE, WE, I'M SORRY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, THE ONE THING, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, THE CHAIR OF THE MEETING WANTS TO, IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO CUT SPENDING AS I SUGGESTED, AND AS I STARTED LAST BUDGET MEETING, WHY DON'T WE GO THROUGH INSTEAD OF JUST CALLING THEM OUT, LET'S GO RIGHT NOW.
YOU GUYS READY TO STAY? I'M READY TO STAY RIGHT NOW AND SAVE MONEY.
I'M GIVING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES THE CHANCE TO BE HEARD.
AND AS I SAID LAST MEETING, AS I DID LAST MEETING, OKAY? AS I SPENT THE TIME DURING THESE RETREATS AND MEETING WITH OUR CFO AND MEETING WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, I DID THAT.
I WENT LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE COULD CUT AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH ON A LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM BASIS.
SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING, YOU RAISE A LOT OF GOOD POINTS.
IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE CUTTING, AND THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT I LAID OUT LAST MEETING, PROPOSE IT AND WE TAKE A VOTE.
WE PUT TOGETHER THE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED, AND IF WE KEEP THEM, PEOPLE CAN VOTE TO KEEP THEM, TO DELETE THEM.
PEOPLE CAN VOTE TO DELETE THEM.
AND WHILE I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT, LET'S ACTUALLY PUT LEGISLATION JUST AS WE STARTED DOING LAST MEETING AND CONTINUE THAT.
AM I, AM I ALLOWED TO SPEAK NOW? YES.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
THINK COMMISSIONER WAS GONNA FINISH.
ARE YOU GONNA FINISH SAID FERNANDEZ, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, ARE YOU? YEAH.
WHAT COMMISSIONER I, YOU CONTINUE, YOU'RE GONNA FINISH AND THEN I LOOK, I I, I'M SORRY IF I SEEM A LITTLE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, OKAY.
UM, I, I KNOCKED ON OVER 5,000 DOORS AND A LOT OF IT WAS IN NORTH BEACH.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD JUST CRY ON MY SHOULDER AND SAY, I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY WHOLE LIFE AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
AND WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU HELP ME WITH? AND SO, EXCUSE ME, WHEN I GET UPSET WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, THIS IS NOT A TAX INCREASE, IT IS A TAX INCREASE, IT'S ONLY GOING WITH INFLATION, IT'S DOUBLE THE INFLATION RATE, AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
THOSE ARE NOT THINGS TO BE PROUD OF, I THINK WOULD BE PROUD OF IS IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE OF 5.5114, AND WE FIGURE OUT HOW EXACTLY WE'RE GONNA CUT WHATEVER BLOATED FAT THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE, THAT ISN'T GOING TO BE ADDED TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT THEN I, I'M READY TO ROLL UP MY SLEEVES HERE AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN REMOVE.
I'M, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
I LET IT GET, GET THE BEST OF ME.
BUT YOU KNOW, I, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS, YOU MAY THINK THAT THIS IS THE 11TH HOUR, BUT I JUST READ TO YOU TWO ITEMS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE JUNE
[00:55:03]
AND MARCH, AND I WAS DISMISSED, I THINK IT WAS ON A SLIDE THAT, UH, STAFF HAS PUT AND SAID, THIS IS WHY THAT WE CAN'T DO THIS.YOU KNOW? UM, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH WASTE HERE,
AND, AND, AND I THINK, LISTEN, I, I THINK ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN CUT, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK DEEPER AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT MORE CAN WE CUT.
AND I, AND I WANNA REMEMBER EVERY, I WANT EVERYONE TO REMEMBER A LARGE PART OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE UNION CONTRACTS.
OKAY? THEY WERE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS.
I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY RAILED AGAINST THIS, THESE CONTRACTS BECAUSE I SAW WHAT WAS COMING.
AND, AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW, I WANT THE POLICE OFFICERS TO KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS NOT ME GOING AFTER POLICE PAY.
I WANTED TO HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S MORE FAIR AND BALANCED TO THE CITY THAT'S MORE MERIT BASED, THAT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY GIVE PAY INCREASES BECAUSE AT THIS RATE, WE CANNOT SUSTAIN OUR GOVERNMENT.
SO LOOK, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, THIS IS YOUR MEETING.
I'M HERE TO, I I, I'D LIKE TO, IF IT'S, THIS IS $20 MILLION, LET'S FIND $20 MILLION TO CUT TODAY.
I MEAN, THERE'S SOME REALLY LOW HANGING FRUIT LIKE SISTER CITIES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE SPEND ON SISTER CITIES AND TRIPS.
THE, THE, UH, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE USED TO MAKE DUE WITH I THINK $10,000.
JASON, HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON SISTER CITIES? NOW WE HAVE TO CHECK ROUGHLY WHAT ARE WE SPENDING ON SISTER CITIES AND THEIR TRIPS AND, AND, AND, AND HOSTING DELEGATIONS.
I THINK IT'S TO THE TUNE OF A, UH, AT LEAST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING EVERY YEAR.
OKAY? WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON CULTURAL.
BUT JUST TO CORRECT THE RECORD, BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE LYING, IT'S $40,000.
AND I'D ALSO BE REMISS IF NOT SHARING WHAT A PHONY OUR COLLEAGUE IS.
THANKS TO HIM, HE COST THE CITY TAXPAYERS $10 MILLION TO THE HOMELESS TRUST BECAUSE HE TOOK SOMETHING OFF THE BALLOT WHILE THE VOTERS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF VOTING.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT BIG BOMB WITH THE COUNTY, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? IT'S GONNA COST US IN THE FUTURE OVER $80 MILLION.
WE HAD TO CLEAN UP THAT MESS THANKS TO HIM.
HE'S COST US MORE THAN ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER ON THE DAY.
IF I COULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE.
ACTUALLY, WHAT THAT WAS, WAS A 1% ADDITIONAL TAX ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT I WANTED TO REPEAL SO THAT IT WOULDN'T GO TO ANOTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY WHERE THEY WOULD'VE SPENT MONEY AND NOTHING WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME INTO RETURN.
AND INSTEAD, WE HAD TO PAY $10 MILLION.
AND ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, IT WAS A BALLOT ITEM THAT VOTERS WERE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON.
IT WAS NOT THE COMMISSION'S PURVIEW TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
IT WAS IN THE VOTER'S HANDS DURING AN ACTIVE ELECTION.
LET'S JUST SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE, THE PREMISE THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A BETTER WAY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
NO ONE'S DISPUTING THAT THE PROCESS IN WHICH IT WAS TAKEN OFF DURING AN ACTIVE ELECTION AND THEN RELATIONSHIPS BLOWN UP INSTEAD OF WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, I THINK IS THE POINT THAT'S BEING MADE HERE.
IF, IF I'M THE VILLAIN FOR POSING HEIGHT AND RATE INCREASES IN TAXES ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS, I, I GUESS I'M THAT VILLAIN.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S VILLAIN FOR COSTING US 80,000,001 AT A THANK YOU, ONE AT A TIME, PLEASE.
SO, AND LOOK, NO, BUT, BUT COMMISSIONERS, I WILL SAY WHEN A, WHEN A COMMENT IS MADE AND THERE'S A POINT OF ORDER TO MAKE A CORRECTION, THAT IS ALLOWED, AND THAT'S WHY I ALLOWED IT TO GO, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ A AGAIN, I'M THE BAD GUY FOR OPPOSING TAX INCREASES TO UNJUSTLY OTHER GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS IN IN THE COUNTY, WHICH, BY THE WAY, W WOULD'VE WAS SUPPOSED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH US THAT THEY WERE GONNA GIVE US ALL THE MONEY BACK.
AND I AVERTED A DISASTER FOR AN INFINITE TAX TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AGAIN.
SO THAT, AGAIN, LET ME FINISH.
NOBODY'S DISPUTING THAT THERE WERE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH AGREEMENTS THAT DIDN'T GET SIGNED AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND ISSUES.
NOBODY'S DISPUTING THOSE FACTS.
[01:00:01]
SAYING YOU'RE A VILLAIN FOR TRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, BUT TAKING IT OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS WHERE IT HAD BEEN PUT BY LAW, BY, BY THE WAY, ALL OF US, WE AGREED TO THE LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT.LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT RELIVE THAT.
I DON'T, I HAVE TO TAKE MILLION.
AND I JUST, I MADE THE POINTS.
COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANT, COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANT FOR THE RECORD TO, I WANT THE RECORD TO BE REFLECTED ACCURATELY.
COMMISSIONER SUAREZ AND PLEASE, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
I LOOK, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ IS NEXT.
I, I'D LIKE US, I'D LIKE US ALL TO STAY HERE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OTHER THINGS WE CAN CUT THAT IS UN COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY FOR OUR, OUR TAXPAYERS.
I'M, I'M, IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK, FIVE OR FIVE 30.
I'M, I'M READY TO STAY AT LEAST A COUPLE HOURS AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THIS IS THE 11TH HOUR.
THIS IS OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE TAXES.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT RESIDENTS TELL US ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY MOVE FROM OTHER AREAS TO MIAMI BEACH, IS THE SERVICES THAT THEY GET, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THEY GET, THE RESPONSIVENESS THAT THEY RECEIVE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, IN UNINCORPORATED DAY COUNTY WHERE I GREW UP AND WHERE MY PARENTS LIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'VE HAD TO CALL FOR POLICE SERVICE, THEY MIGHT NOT GET A POLICE OFFICER SENT TO THEIR HOME TODAY.
IF THEIR CAR GETS BROKEN INTO, THEY MIGHT GET SOMEONE SENT TOMORROW TO DO AN AFTER THE FACT REPORT.
THEY DON'T GET THE PARKS THAT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET.
THEY DON'T GET THE EDUCATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS THAT THE STUDENTS IN MIAMI BEACH GET THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE ALL PAY, WHICH GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PROVIDES.
THEY DON'T GET THE LEVEL OF SANITATION THAT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET.
THEY DON'T GET THE EXTRA TROLLEY SERVICES THAT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET.
THEY DON'T GET THE, UM, THEY DON'T GET THE, UM, THE GRASS CUT AS FREQUENTLY ON THE SWES AND PUBLIC AREAS AS FREQUENTLY AS MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS GET.
THEY DON'T GET THE LEVEL OF HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES THE WAY THE MIAMI BEACH, UH, RESIDENTS GET IT IN OTHER AREAS.
HOMELESS NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP IN MIAMI BEACH.
WE WERE AT 235 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
WE'VE DROPPED THOSE NUMBERS TO 122.
IF WE GET SERVICES IN MIAMI BEACH, I CALL THEM CONCIERGE SERVICES, THAT NO OTHER GOVERNMENTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA OFFERS ITS RESIDENTS BECAUSE ITS RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED FOR THESE SERVICES.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS BUDGET, UM, MR. MANAGER, UNDER THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TODAY, BEFORE US TODAY, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE INCREASE THAT THE AVERAGE HOMESTEAD OF PROPERTY WOULD BE EXPERIENCING? SO WE HAVE TWO NUMBERS PRESENTED IN OUR BUDGET MEMO.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE INCREASE? SO THE AVERAGE INCREASE FOR A MEDIAN HOMESTEADED HOME IS $51 FOR THE AVERAGE HOME PRICE, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, ALL OF THE HOMES THAT MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN PRICE.
THAT AVERAGE WOULD BE $149, $149.
TWO THIRDS OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE RENTERS AND THAT THEY'RE NOT, COMMISSIONER, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU.
SO WE, WE HAVE TO PUT IT INTO, INTO PERSPECTIVE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
I UNDERSTAND THIS ACCUMULATES AND IT AFFECTS, UH, AFFORDABILITY IN OUR CITY.
AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO CONTINUE MAKING SURE THAT OUR BUDGET PROVIDES FOR A SAFE CITY, A CLEAN CITY, A RESILIENT CITY THAT PROVIDES FOR THE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR, THAT PROVIDES FOR THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OUR RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR THAT PROVIDES FOR THE NEW TROLLEYS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE, ARE ASKING FOR, OR IMPROVED HEADWAYS.
OR, YOU KNOW, WE WANT SHARED USE PATHS THAT ALL THESE THINGS HAVE TO GET PAID FOR SOMEWHERE.
AND IT'S NOT PROJECTS THAT WE BRING FORWARD.
IT'S ALL PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY COMES ASKING US TO ADVANCE BEFORE WE REALLY GO INTO THE WEEDS ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 26.
I WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25? ARE WE RUNNING AT A DEFICIT IN FISCAL YEAR 25? ARE
[01:05:01]
WE, ARE WE RUNNING AT A SURPLUS? WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY? BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET FISCAL YEAR 25 IN ORDER AND SQUARED AWAY BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 26.SO WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25? IF I COULD ASK OUR CFO AND OUR, UM, BUDGET DIRECTOR TO ANSWER THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BASED ON THE Q3, UH, PROJECTION, WE'RE PROJECTING TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY 11.899 MILLION OF A SURPLUS IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR FY 25.
SO WE PROJECT THAT AS PART, WE PROJECT THAT AS PART OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE $11 MILLION IN SURPLUS.
IS THAT AFTER WE MADE OUR OBLIGATIONS WITH RESERVES, OR IS THAT, OR, OR DO WE NEED TO SET MONEY ASIDE AFTER THOSE $11 MILLION FOR RESERVES? THAT'S AFTER WE SET ASIDE FOR RESERVES.
SO AFTER RESERVES, WE HAVE $11 MILLION SURPLUS IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
PROJECTED THAT MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO US.
THAT MONEY BELONGS TO WHOM? TO THE TAXPAYERS, TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND I THINK AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND WE SEE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING THE MILLAGE FLAT, BUT WE DON'T CONTROL, WE DON'T CONTROL THE PROPERTY VALUATIONS.
YOUR, IF YOUR TAXES GO UP, IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER GOVERNMENT THAT'S INDEPENDENT OF THE CITY THAT VALUES YOUR PROPERTIES.
AND THAT'S AN ELECTED POSITION.
AND THAT ELECTED POSITION IS THE ONE THAT DETERMINES YOUR PROPERTY VALUE.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS MAKING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES GO UP.
OUR MILLAGE RATE HAS BEEN FLAT.
IT IS THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICES THAT ARE CAUSING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES TO GO UP.
AND THERE IS A PROCESS TO APPEAL THAT AND TO CHALLENGE THAT VALUATION.
BUT TODAY WE ARE SITTING HERE WITH $11 MILLION THAT DON'T BELONG TO US, MR. MANAGER.
AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THAT $11 MILLION, GIVEN EVERYTHING WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS TODAY, FROM OUR RESIDENTS, AND THOSE WHO HAVE PLACED THEIR TRUST IN US, SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
DO WE HAVE A MECHANISM OF GETTING THIS SURPLUS AND SENDING IT BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS? SO I WOULD HAVE TO RE RELY ON THE CITY ATTORNEY.
SO ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, THE CITY HAD DONE A, A, A DIVIDEND THAT WENT BACK TO HOMEOWNERS AND USED SURPLUSES TO, TO FUND THOSE DIVIDENDS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A MECHANISM IF THIS BODY WANTED TO, UH, GO DOWN THAT PATH, UH, TO, TO SEND MONEY BACK TO SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, AS I SEE IT TODAY, IF WE GOT THESE $11 MILLION AND WE SEND THESE $11 MILLION BACK TO THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE EXPERIENCING A $149 INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE IN, IN FRONT OF US, THOSE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING THAT $149 INCREASE, IF WE WERE TO SEND THIS, THESE $11 MILLION BACK TO THEM, THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE GETTING IN THE MAIL, A $700 REFUND FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND THAT'S MONEY THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO US.
THAT IS MONEY THAT BELONGS TO THE RESIDENTS, TO THE TAXPAYERS OF OUR CITY.
AND WE CANNOT GO INTO A NEW FISCAL YEAR TELLING RESIDENTS, HEY, LISTEN, YOUR TAX BILL MIGHT GO UP NOT BECAUSE OF US, BUT BECAUSE OF ANOTHER GOVERNMENT WITHOUT SENDING BACK TO THE RESIDENTS THE SURPLUS MONEY THAT WE COLLECTED FROM THEM.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SECOND TO DIRECT OUR ADMINISTRATION, OUR CITY MANAGER, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, TO WORK ON POLICY SO THAT THIS $11 MILLION THAT WE COLLECTED EXTRA, BECAUSE THIS IS EXTRA MONEY THAT WE COLLECTED THAT WE DID NOT SPEND, THAT IS THEIR MONEY THAT WE SEND IT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS OF, OF OUR CITY.
CAN I CALL PRIME WITH YOU? YEAH.
ANYONE THAT WAS TO JOIN ME? ANYONE? CAN I, I HAVE A QUESTION JUST HOW THIS WA WORKS.
IF THIS GOES TO JUST, AND I'M NOT CHALLENGING, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
THIS GOES BACK TO HOMESTEADED PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT, BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE RENTERS, SO HOW DO WE, I THINK MAYBE STEPH FIGURES THAT OUT WHEN IT COMES TO COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
IF YOU REALLY WANNA HELP THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND RENT HERE, THEN WE WOULD JUST ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE IN TUNE TO THOSE $11 MILLION.
I I, I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH YOU BECAUSE WHEN YOU ROLL BACK THE VILLAGE RATE, WHAT CAN I, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT.
I, LET ME, LET ME EXPLAIN TO, LET ME EXPLAIN WHY TO YOU.
IF YOU SEND THIS OUT, IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, LIKE HE SAID.
BUT THE, BUT THE INCREASE, THE 10% INCREASE, OKAY.
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, THAT AVERAGE INCREASE IS GONNA BE, IS GOING TO BE PASSED ON TO THE RENTER.AND IF YOU SEND THAT MONEY OUT TO THE LANDLORDS, UM, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO SEE IT.
BUT IF YOU ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, THEN WE PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO NOT HAVE SUCH A BLOATED BUDGET AND WE WILL HAVE TO CUT, UH, IN COMING YEARS.
LIKE IF YOU, THEN YOU'RE DOING EVERYBODY A FAVOR YEAR OVER YEAR, WHAT WE SHOULD DO, IF WE WERE TO ROLL BACK FOR THE 11 MIL TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE $11 MILLION, WHAT WOULD THE NEW MILLAGE RATE BE? AND THEN WE COULD ACTUALLY LOWER THE MILLAGE RATE, LOWER THE TAX RATE FOR EVERYONE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE RENTERS WILL NOT BE GETTING THIS INCREASE PASSED ON.
WELL, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THAT AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF THE NEXT OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
BUT I'M SAYING IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TODAY, YES.
BUT IF YOU KEEP THE MILLAGE RATE THE SAME, YOU ARE IN EFFECT TAXING EVERYONE.
EVEN IF YOU SEND BACK A CHECK, YOU'RE STILL TAXING THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY IN THESE COMMERCIAL RENTAL PROPERTIES.
SO YOU'RE NOT HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO RENT.
YOU'RE JUST HELPING LANDLORDS ACROSS THE CITY THAT PROBABLY, UM, DON'T NEED THAT MONEY.
I MEAN, I, I, I JUST WANT TO FIND SOMETHING THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND IF YOU CUT THE MILL, IF YOU CUT THE MILLAGE RATE THIS YEAR, OKAY, THEN YOU REALLY ARE DOING A, A SERVICE BECAUSE NEXT YEAR, UM, EVEN IF WE WERE TO MAINTAIN IT THE SAME, WE WOULD BE AT A LOWER, UM, BUDGET.
WE'D BE CUTTING IT BY $11 MILLION.
AND I THINK JASON, AND CAN I WAIT, I, I, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE SPOKEN.
I DIDN'T WELL, I WAS MAKING A MOTION.
I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A MOTION.
I KNOW, BUT I, AND YOU STEPPED IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MOTION.
THIS MOTION TO ME DOESN'T MAKE THAT MUCH SENSE.
I KNOW, BUT IT'S STILL A MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE ON THE SECONDED, WHICH, WHICH I'VE SECONDED.
JASON, CAN YOU PROVIDE US SOME GUIDANCE HERE? YEAH, THANK YOU.
SO I THINK OF THE, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE IDEA IS TO USE THE 25 SURPLUS, WHICH WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE USING THE NUMBER $11 MILLION, UH, TO SEND A, A REBATE CHECK.
LIKE I, I RECALL IT 20 YEARS AGO.
GETTING, GETTING MY CHECK, UH, AS A, AS A NEW HOMEOWNER, UM, THAT, YEAH, THAT WOULD GO TO HOMESTEAD, UH, PROPERTIES.
UH, THE CONCERN OBVIOUSLY IS IF YOU JUST SAY DON'T SEND BACK A REBATE CHECK, BUT USE THAT ONE TIME MONEY TO REDUCE LOWER, REDUCE, REDUCE A RECURRING REVENUE OF SUCH SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS IN THE MILLAGE WOULD PROBABLY WILL 100% SERIOUSLY EXASPERATE A DEFICIT ISSUE WILL HAVE IN THE FUTURE GOING ON.
SO IT WOULD MAKE THE 27 BUDGET, UM, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOME RADICAL ROLLBACKS OF, BUT WE CAN GET SURPLUSES AGAIN, IF WE HAVE SURPLUS.
IF WE COLLECT SURPLUS, WE CAN SEND IT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS.
AND IF I CAN, COMMISSIONER, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSIONS DID 20 YEARS AGO, IS THEY USED, I THINK IS THE, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID IT'S THE ONE TIME MONEY.
BECAUSE IF THE MONEY'S NOT THERE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.
OR YOU DISCERN THERE'S OTHER PURPOSES.
'CAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION POLICY, THE SURPLUS IS USED FOR CAPITAL DOLLARS.
BUT IF THE COMMISSION DETERMINES THAT A BETTER HIGHEST USE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, IT'S BETTER TO NOT ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS TO CAPITAL PROGRAMS. THEY COULD OVERRIDE THEIR POLICY AND DISTRIBUTE AS A ONE-TIME REBATE.
BUT CUTTING IT AS A RECURRING IS EXTREMELY, AND I'M, AND I'M ALL FOR SETTING, PUTTING A SET ASIDE BECAUSE TENANTS, YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR TENANTS SINCE MY FIRST DAY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ADVOCATING FOR TENANTS HAS BEEN CORE TO THE WORK THAT, THAT I HAVE DONE AS, AS A COMMISSIONER.
AND PERHAPS WE CAN PUT A SET ASIDE, WE CAN GET A SET ASIDE OF THE $11 MILLION, UM, TO, UH, TO, TO WORK ON AN ASSISTANCE FOR, FOR TENANTS.
WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY IF WE CAN DO THAT OR NOT.
A WHAT I THINK BETWEEN NOW AND THE OCTOBER 29TH MEETING, WE COULD LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS ALONG THOSE LINES.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR, SO I, I WOULD LIKE US TO, TO, TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK, WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND SO WE CAN CALL.
CAN I JUST GET MORE CLARITY FIRST? MR. CFO? UH, SO ESSENTIALLY TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE, WE NEED ABOUT 17 MILLION.
I THINK THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE, THE TABLE IS, IS NOT LOOKING AT THE CURRENT MILLAGE, WHICH AGAIN, I THINK, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE, WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, A BUDGET THAT WAS, UH, ACTUALLY IN SURPLUS IN JULY.
AND WE ACTUALLY CUT AN ADDITIONAL TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
I THINK A LOT OF IT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH YOURSELF.
SO, UH, WE ACTUALLY DID DO CUTS, UH, IN THE GENERAL FUND RESORT TAX OF TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND, UH, SO I THINK THAT THAT HAS THAT BUDGET SET.
BUT THE, UM, THE IDEA WOULD BE USING THE ONE-TIME DOLLARS FROM THE 25 SURPLUS PROJECTED THAT WE HAVE, SO THAT IN NOVEMBER WHEN IT IS MATERIALIZED, UM, THAT THAT 11, LET'S SAY THE NUMBER IS EXACTLY 11 MILLION, THAT 11 MILLION COULD BE DETERMINED TO BE USED, I GUESS EITHER AS A RESIDENT, UH, UH, HOMESTEAD RESIDENT REBATE, OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO WHAT WE COULD ALSO DO RIGHT NOW, AND YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, YOU MADE A POINT THAT WE'VE ALREADY CUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
[01:15:01]
AND WE HAVE AN $11 MILLION SURPLUS.SO IF WE WOULD PASS THIS MOTION TO SEND BACK A REBATE CHECK FOR OUR SURPLUS, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THAT WE GO THROUGH TONIGHT, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THAT WE GO, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T WANT THE GUY IN THE GARAGE TEACHING KARATE CLASS FOR $330.
THAT GOES BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS, RIGHT? SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STARTING WITH $11 MILLION AND EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE UP HERE TONIGHT TO REDUCE FURTHER THAT REBATE CHECK TO OUR RESIDENTS GETS EVEN LARGER.
BUT THAT WOULD BE NEXT YEAR'S REBATE CHECK.
'CAUSE THIS IS NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
BUT, BUT, BUT I TAKE THE POINT.
COMMISSIONER, IF I CAN, I KNOW WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS THAT IF THERE WAS GONNA BE ANY ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE ADDITIONAL, UH, REDUCTION EFFICIENCY LINEUPS, THAT THERE WAS, THERE, YOU HAD INTEREST IN HAVING THAT SET ASIDE AS AN ADDITIONAL BUDGET STABILIZATION TO ENSURE THAT THE 27 BUDGET, WHICH WE MAY THINK HAVE MORE DIFFICULTIES, BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN BEING BALANCED AND NOT HAVE TO ROLL BACK, UH, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES, SO THAT THAT COULD BE A WAY THAT A COMMISSION COULD GO IF THEY DECIDE TO GO DOWN, UH, SOME OF THESE LINE AND CUTS.
AND COMMISSIONER ROSE IS A, I I WILL JUST CAVEAT THAT THE COUNTY FOUND FOUND THEMSELVES IN THIS POSITION WHERE IT WAS EITHER LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO, THEY WROTE BACK THEIR MILLAGE RATE MM-HMM
AND THEN THEY HAD A $400 MILLION HOLE THAT WAS DISASTROUS.
IT'S A VERY POLITICALLY POPULAR THING TO DO.
AND IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS THING.
'CAUSE IN ESSENCE, WE'RE PUTTING FUTURE, FUTURE BODIES.
WE ARE EVENTUALLY, WE'RE ALL FACING A TERM LIMIT, BUT THEN PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY NEED TO DELIVER SERVICES.
AND THEN RAISING THE MILITARY RATE IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK, I THINK WHEN WE HAVE THIS EXTRA MONEY, WE NEED TO DELIVER TO THE PUBLIC, WE NEED TO BUILD THE PUBLIC'S TRUST.
AND WE NEED TO SHOW THEM, OKAY, WE COLLECTED THIS MONEY, WE HAD EXTRA MONEY.
IT DOESN'T BELONG TO US, RATHER THAN SPENDING IT ON SOMETHING SHINY AND NEW, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND WE'RE GONNA SEND IT BACK TO YOU BECAUSE WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE RESPECT YOU.
WE UNDERSTAND WE HAVE, WE HAVE CONDOMINIUM OWNERS, HOMESTEADED OWNERS OF CONDOMINIUMS IN OUR CITY WHO ARE FACING INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES, INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES WITH ASSESSMENTS.
IF WE CAN SEND THEM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND WE PROTECT THIS $11 MILLION, IT'S ABOUT SE $700 THAT WE WILL BE SENDING TO THESE PROPERTY OWNERS.
THAT'S GONNA HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
THAT IS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND IN, AND FACING IMMENSE AND MOUNTING COSTS BECAUSE OF ALL THESE NEW REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPOSED ON CONDOMINIUMS. LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE RAVEN.
I MEAN, THE RAVEN, LITERALLY, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S FACING, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY FORECLOSURE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH A GOFUNDME, YOU KNOW, $776 WOULD MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE TO SOMEONE LIKE THE RAVEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER, I THANK COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ.
UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE THINKS OF CONDO OWNERS AS BEING WEALTHY PEOPLE, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT CONDOS HERE 20, 30 YEARS AGO, OR INHERITED FROM THEIR PARENTS AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVE A, A LOVELY PLACE TO CALL HOME IN MIAMI BEACH.
BUT THEY ARE NOT SUPER WEALTHY PEOPLE.
AND THEY ARE FACING THE CHALLENGES THAT EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN MIAMI BEACH FACES WHERE SURE, THEY HAVE A PLACE THAT'S THEIR OWN, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE CONDO FEES AND THE INSURANCE RATES.
THAT THE STATE IS NOT REALLY TAKING A GREAT, DOING A GREAT JOB OF MANAGING HOW TO DO THAT IN A MORE EQUITABLE AND STEPPED MANNER.
RIGHT? SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY HAD THEIR FINANCES MORE OR LESS UNDER CONTROL, THEY HAD A STEADY JOB OR RETIREMENT, AND, BUT NOW THEY'RE BEING BLINDSIDED.
SO LET'S, LET'S REMEMBER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONDO OWNERS, THAT IT'S NOT JUST WEALTHY CONDO OWNERS.
AND I'M NOT OVERLY WORRIED ABOUT THOSE FOLKS.
I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR 30 YEARS, UM, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE TO FIND, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES TO, ON FIXED INCOMES IN SOME CASES, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ON JOBS WHERE THEY DON'T GET 30% RAISES EVERY YEAR, UM, TO, TO TRY TO, TO FILL THE HOLE.
AND TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UM, IT'S NOT JUST THAT, THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS FACE TERM LIMITS AND IT'S THE NEXT ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT MORE.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT.
THE BIGGER ISSUE, I THINK IS THAT, UM, IT PUTS FUTURE RESIDENTS AT RISK BECAUSE YEAH, ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD CHOICES AND WILL HAVE TO PAY THE TAXES.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE, THE RESIDENTS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE, DO THEY WANT THEIR TRASH PICKED UP ONCE A WEEK OR EVERY TWO WEEKS, RIGHT? OR DO THEY, ARE THEY OKAY WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLKS COMING IN 15 TO 20 MINUTES INSTEAD OF THREE TO SEVEN MINUTES? OR, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE FLOURISHING ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE HERE IN MIAMI BEACH, WHICH GENERATES A HUGE AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I MEAN, YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO THINK IT'S NOT USEFUL, BUT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERATED INCOME AND REVENUE
[01:20:01]
TO THE CITY FROM ARTS AND CULTURE, UM, UH, INSTITUTIONS, IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.SO I DON'T WANNA PUT FUTURE RESIDENTS, WHETHER IT'S IN TWO YEARS, FOUR YEARS, OR 15 YEARS IN THE SITUATION OF HAVING TO GIVE UP THINGS THAT THEY CHOSE TO MOVE TO MIAMI BEACH FOR, OR ARE VERY HAPPY TO BE PAYING THEIR TAXES FOR, LIKE A PARK OR, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THEIR KID CAN GO TO A REALLY PRETTY GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL.
WE, WE DO HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND, BUT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
AND, AND I, AND I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TIE THE HANDS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE, THE FUTURE THAT WAY, I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WHERE THEY WENT IN AND A BODY YEARS AGO, LOWERED THE MILLAGE RATE QUITE TREMENDOUSLY.
THEN THE FUTURE BODIES THAT CAME IN HAD TO PROVIDE SERVICES.
AND THEY DIDN'T, THEY WERE FACED, OKAY, WELL WE DON'T WANNA INCRE INCREASE MILLAGE.
WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO END UP DOING? THEY HAD TO GO TO THE PERIMETERS.
THEY HAD TO INCREASE THE FOLIOS, INCREASE THE TAX BASE IN ORDER TO MEET THE ENDS MEET.
THEY HAD TO GO IN AND OVERDEVELOP, IN ESSENCE, THEIR COMMUNITY, IN ORDER TO THEN GENERATE THE TAXES THAT THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES.
AND THAT'S HOW COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS AROUND SOUTH FLORIDA, WHEN THEY'VE GONE, GONE IN AND LOWERED THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, THEY LOWERED THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT THEN YEARS LATER, THE NEW GOVERNMENT, WHEN THEY, WHERE THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WELL HOW DO WE MAKE ENDS MEET? WELL, THE WAY THAT THEY MAKE ENDS MEET IS BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FOLIOS AND UPON WHICH THEY LEVERAGE TAXES.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IN MIAMI BEACH, WE BELIEVE IN DOING, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN MAINTAINING A LOW SCALE COMMUNITY.
WE MAKE, WE BELIEVE IN MAINTAINING THE CHARACTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE NEVER WANNA PUT THE COMMUNITY IN THAT SITUATION.
WE WANNA LEAVE A LEGACY, A LEGACY THAT WE ARE A LOW SCALE, A BEAUTIFUL ART DECO COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT OVERDEVELOPED.
AND THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTH FLORIDA HAVE, HAVE FACED IN THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THEY'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH.
UM, SO ANYWAYS, I I, I MADE A MOTION.
I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD DIRECT OUR, OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO WORK ON POLICY TO BRING FORWARD SO THAT THIS SURPLUS MONEY THAT WE HAVE IS NOT OUR MONIES, IT'S THE RESIDENTS MONEY, AND WE SHOULD BE SENDING IT BACK TO, TO THEM.
AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO PUT A SET ASIDE FORWARD TO ASSIST TENANTS, I WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE THAT AND TO BRING THAT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING.
COMM, I THINK THE MOST, WAIT, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ.
I, I, I THINK THE MOST FAIR WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ROLL BACK THE MILITARY.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO HAVE A SET ASIDE FOR A PROCESS OF GIVING IT TO TENANTS.
SOME TENANTS, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE CHERRY PICKING.
I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA HELP HOMESTEAD, WE SHOULD ALSO HELP NON-HOMESTEAD PEOPLE.
LIKE I SAID, TWO THIRDS OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE RENTERS HERE.
AND SOME OF THESE RENTERS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 20, 30 YEARS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE A A, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SAY THAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA GET IT WITH SOME SET ASIDE.
I THINK THE MOST FAIR THING TO DO, AND THE, THE MOST, UH, CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT THING TO DO IS TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE.
AND SO, LOOK, NOT ONLY THAT, NOT ONLY THE $11 MILLION, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD FIND NINE EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS TO CUT AND, AND, AND MAKE SO THAT IT'S 20 TOTAL.
AND, AND, AND THEN USE THAT TO LOWER BACK THE MIL AND USE THAT NUMBER TO USE BACK THE, UM, EXCUSE ME, TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE TO, TO $20 MILLION.
SO IF WE HAVE 11 THAT WE HAVE A SURPLUS, LET'S FIND NINE.
I'M SURE WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT TODAY.
AND, AND THEN LET'S ROLL BACK THE
BUT, BUT THIS, BUT THIS MOTION RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND OF THESE $11 MILLION THAT WE HAVE IN FISCAL YEAR 25, IT'S NOT ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 26.
IT'S ABOUT SENDING THIS EXTRA DOLLARS THAT WE'VE COLLECTED AND THAT WE PROJECT TO HAVE BY THE END OF THE QUARTER, SENDING THAT BACK TO THE RESIDENTS.
'CAUSE I THINK, I THINK BEFORE WE TELL PEOPLE, HEY, LISTEN, YOU MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING AN AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 149 UH, DOLLARS.
WE NEED TO TELL 'EM, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE EXTRA MONEY THAT WE ALREADY COLLECTED FROM YOU? AND THAT'S MONEY THAT WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED THAT WE ANTICIPATE HAVING EXTRA OF.
AND I THINK THE ONLY RIGHT THING TO, TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TAXPAYERS IS WE'RE GONNA SEND YOU THE MONEY BACK.
IT SHOULD BE YOURS TO KEEP, ESPECIALLY WHEN UTILITIES, UH, PEOPLE HAVE CALLED ABOUT UTILITIES.
WELL, BY THE WAY, THAT UTILITY INCREASE, IT'S NOT OUR UTILITY INCREASE.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH DID WE PUT A FREEZE ON THE UTILITY RATE INCREASE THAT IS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.
THAT IS A PASS, PASS THROUGH RATE, NOT FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
YOUR, IF YOUR UTILITY RATE IS GOING UP, IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S BEING PASSED
[01:25:01]
THROUGH TO YOU BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.AND BY THE WAY, WE, SOMEONE CALLED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT HER, HER BUILDING TAXES GOING UP.
SHE COULD BE GETTING A HOME SET EXCEPTION FOR THE PART OF THE BUILDING THAT SHE'S LIVING IN.
SHE HAS NOT SOUGHT THAT HOME SET EXCEPTION.
AND I'VE MADE MY OFFICE AVAILABLE TO HER TO HELP HER GET THAT HOME SET EXCEPTION FOR THE PORTION OF THE BUILDING THAT SHE'S LIVING IN.
AND SHE, SHE'S DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY HER PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP SO MUCH BECAUSE SHE'S NOT BENEFITING FROM SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HER.
AND IF HER RENT ROLL IS GOING DOWN, THERE'S ALSO A PROCESS TO APPEAL HER PROPERTY VALUE TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT, THAT SHE SHOULD BE PAYING.
AND I SPOKEN TO VALERIE ABOUT THIS, AND I TOLD VALERIE TO CONTACT OUR OFFICE BECAUSE WE WOULD HELP HER WITH THAT.
I DID THAT FOR MY OWN PROPERTY TAXES AND GOT A DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.
COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, AND LET'S CALL THE VOTE.
IS THERE A WAY TO ISSUE A CHECK TO RENTERS TOO? IS THERE A WAY TO FIND OUT WHO OUR RESIDENT RENTERS ARE AND WHO OUR HOMESTEADED RENTERS ARE? AND THEN ISSUE A CHECK TO EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT TOO.
I COULD SAY THAT THE, FROM THE HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES, WE WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION THROUGH THE PROPERTY TAX ROLLS.
BUT AS FOR WHO'S A TENANT, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT TRACK, UH, WHO TENANTS ARE, UH, IN THIS CITY.
SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE LIST, UH, ABOUT THAT.
DON'T WE, COULD A TENANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BE CREATED IN SOMEWHERE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD REGISTER AND SUCH? I GUESS THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, BUT THAT WOULD TAKE SOME WORK, I THINK, TO FIGURE OUT THE PARAMETERS OF SAID PROGRAM.
AND I WILL SAY, MR. CFO, IT IS ACTUALLY MUCH MORE EQUITABLE DOING A REBATE BECAUSE IF WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE, IF WE'RE TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT RENTERS, RIGHT, THAT JUST GOES TO THE LANDLORDS.
WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY GO AND PASS THAT THROUGH.
WHEN I HAD A LANDLORD, THAT GUY WASN'T GONNA PASS IT THROUGH TO ME IF HE GOT A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS OF COST SAVINGS.
BUT IF WE ARE SENDING DIVIDEND CHECKS, REBATE CHECKS, BECAUSE WE DID TIGHTEN OUR BELTS IN 25, WE MADE TOUGH DECISIONS ENOUGH, PERHAPS NOT.
BUT WE'RE DOWN THAT TRACK AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE EVEN MORE.
BUT WE DID TIGHTEN OUR BELTS AND WE HAVE $11 MILLION THAT WE CAN SEND BACK.
WE CAN SEND IT DIRECTLY TO THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE IF WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE, THAT JUST GOES TO THE LANDLORDS.
AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE IF THAT GETS PASSED THROUGH TO THE ACTUAL PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING THOSE RENTAL CHECKS.
AND BY THE WAY, WHEN WE DO HAVE ROLL A ROLLBACK RATE, YOU END UP CUTTING SERVICES SERVICES ULTIMATELY, THAT ARE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE WHO THE REALITY OF IS THAT THOSE ARE TENANTS.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAMS THAT A ROLLBACK RATE WOULD CUT, WOULD IN FACT BE SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN MIAMI BEACH.
AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND.
IF WE REALLY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT TENANTS, TENANTS LIVE, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE LIVING WITH FIXED INCOMES AND THEY DEPEND ON THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE.
THEY DEPEND ON THE MEAL SERVICES THAT OUR CITY PROVIDES.
THEY DON'T GET TO EXPERIENCE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING IF IT'S NOT FOR SOME OF THE CULTURAL PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT OUR CITY OFFERS.
SO WHEN WE ROLL BACK THE RATE, YES, BY ONE PART, WE MIGHT SAY WE ARE HELPING TENANTS.
MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU ROLL BACK THE RATE, YOU'RE ALSO TAKING AWAY A LOT OF SERVICES CALLED VOTE FROM THE TENANTS AS WELL.
I MEAN, AND THEN LET'S CALL THE VOTE.
LOOK, IT'S WHEN YOU LOWER TAXES, EVERYONE BENEFITS.
I, I, I JUST, IT'S, IT'S CRAZY TO ME TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO RAISE TAXES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE MORE BENEFITS.
I MEAN, SURE, IT'S GREAT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, E EVERYONE WANTS TO JUST SAVE MORE MONEY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT A PROGRAM THAT THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO EAT AND, AND SURVIVE.
OKAY? LIKE, I WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE BENEFICIAL.
AND, AND LOOK, COMMISSIONER, I, I'M, I'M STILL A LITTLE LOST HERE.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO FOR NEXT YEAR? SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO CUT BACK THE TAXES FOR NEXT YEAR? AND THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE MENTIONED.
AND I, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT JASON HERE JUST SAID THERE'S NO WAY TO FIND OUT WHO'S A TENANT AND HOW DO WE REBATE THAT.
BUT I KNOW THAT IF YOU ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, YES, SOME LANDLORDS MAY SAY, I, I'M NOT GONNA CARRY THAT ON, BUT I JUST READ ON THE RECORD, GERSHON, HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, HE LOVES HIS TENANTS, HE WANTS TO KEEP THEM THERE.
AND IT CERTAINLY SOUNDS LIKE HE'S GONNA BE THE ONE TO NOT PASS ON THOSE COSTS
[01:30:01]
THAT BY ROLLING BACK THE MILLAGE.SO I MEAN, TO, TO BLANKETLY SAY THAT, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, ALL LANDLORDS ARE NOT GOING TO PASS ON THESE COST SAVINGS IS, I DON'T, IT'S IT'S JUST IMMATURE.
I I THINK WHEN YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, YOU WANT TO DO IT IN A FAIR WAY, LET'S DO IT.
DO IT IN A FAIR WAY BY ROLLING BACK THE MILLAGE RATE.
I MEAN, LOOK, JUST WHAT KIND OF WIN DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN OUT OF THIS MEETING IF WE COME OUT SAYING, YES, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RAISE TAXES FOR 26, BUT WE'RE GIVING BACK A, A ONE TIME TRICK PONY FOR, FOR 25.
PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE LOWERING TAXES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
SO FOR EVERYONE BENEFITS, AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SET UP A PROGRAM WHERE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO TWO THIRDS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE RENTERS ARE THAT GET THIS, THAT THAT'S REBATE CHECK.
WE HAVE TO DO IT THE MOST FAIR WAY, COMMISSIONER.
THAT'S WHY ROLLING BACK THE MILITARY COMMISSIONER SUAREZ SURE.
DO YOU SUPPORT DOING THE REFUND BACK AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL YEAR 25? 'CAUSE MY POINT IS, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT 26, WE NEED TO DISPENSE WITH 25 AND WE ARE PROJECTED TO, TO HAVE AN AN $11 MILLION SURPLUS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE LEFT OVER FROM THIS YEAR? AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT MONEY DOESN'T BELONG TO US, BELONGS TO OUR RESIDENTS.
LET'S SEND IT BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS WHO GAVE US THIS MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE TO ALL, BOTH HOMESTEAD AND NON-HOMESTEAD.
AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS FOR THE MILLAGE RATE TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE 4 25.
WELL, AND I CAN, CAN I ASK A CLARIFICATION IF THESE TWO THINGS ARE SEEMINGLY MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE? RIGHT? WE CAN'T DO THEM BOTH.
SO IF WE DID IT THROUGH A ROLLBACK OVER THE MILLAGE RATE, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY JUST BE FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO OUR, WOULD OUR TAXPAYERS GET ANY IMMEDIATE RELIEF? IF YOU CHANGE THE MILLAGE RATE, IT WOULD BE REFLECTIVE FOR THEIR BILL THAT THEY PAY AT THE END OF NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH, DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU PAY PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU LOWER THE, IF YOU LOWER THE, THE MILLAGE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE CUTTING RECURRING EXPENDITURES RIGHT NOW FROM THE BUDGET.
BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS NOVEMBER OR NOVEMBER 26TH.
THIS NOVEMBER, YEAH, THIS NOVEMBER.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S IDEA ABOUT USING THE ONE TIME SURPLUS THAT WILL BE APPROPRIATED IN NOVEMBER, UH, IF THAT GOES FORWARD, THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO ALSO, SAME THING, BE ABLE TO CUT CHECKS BACK TO, UM, THE HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS.
SOMETIME DURING THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAVE TO CUT 14,000 CHECKS HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS.
SO, OKAY, SO LET'S PUT THIS INTO, IN INTO PERSPECTIVE.
IN MIAMI BEACH, WE HAVE 55,289 FOLIOS, OKAY? OF WHAT, WHAT WAS IT? 55,289.
WE COLLECT PROPERTY TAXES FROM 55,289 FOLIOS.
WE HAVE 14,173 OF THOSE THAT ARE HOMESTEADED.
WE CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO GET THIS SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE, THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE PAID TO THE CITY AND DIVIDED WITH OUR 14,173 HOMESTEADED, PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE OUR RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE FULL TIME, THAT DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM AND ALL THE SPECIAL EVENTS.
OR WE CAN GIVE IT TO THE 55,289 FOLIOS IN MIAMI BEACH.
THAT MIGHT INCLUDE THE MULTIMILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER.
THAT MIGHT INCLUDE THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT IS KEEPING THEIR PROPERTY ABANDONED.
YOU MIGHT BE SENDING IT BACK TO A LANDLORD WHO I GUARANTEE YOU THE LANDLORD IS NOT GONNA PASS IT BACK DOWN TO THE TENANT.
THERE'S NO LANDLORD THAT I KNOW THAT THE MOMENT THEY'VE, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR RENT AT A CERTAIN HEIGHT, UNLESS THE MARKET FORCES 'EM TO BRING IT DOWN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY, OH, THANK YOU.
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, YOU SENT ME A CHECK FOR $198.
I'M GONNA DIVIDE THAT CHECK BETWEEN MY 12 TENANTS AND I'M GONNA SEND EACH ONE OF MY 12 TENANTS $16 BECAUSE YOU YOU SENT US THIS MONEY BACK.
BUT WE KNOW THAT TODAY WE CAN SAY THAT THIS MONEY THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO US, WE CAN GIVE IT BACK TO THE FULL-TIME RESIDENTS.
MANY OF THEM ARE, THEY'RE DEALING WITH SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH INCREASE INSURANCE COSTS.
THEY DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
THEY DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF, OF TOURISM.
THERE'S 80,000 RESIDENTS IN MIAMI BEACH.
I I MEAN, YOU ONLY WANT, THOSE ARE THE, YOU ONLY SET PROPERTIES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU ONLY WANT TO GIVE THE BENEFIT TO AN EIGHTH OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
I I, I DON'T, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MORE FAIR.
I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, DO, DO WE NEED TO DO THIS AT THIS MEETING? CAN WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS PARTICULAR, UH, REBATE BACK? I THINK TODAY WE JUST
[01:35:01]
HAVE TO DISCUSS 2026, IF I CAN COMMISSIONER THE, UH, 25 SURPLUS GETS DEALT WITH AT A SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING AT THE END OF NOVEMBER WHEN WE DEAL WITH THE ROLLOVER, UH, FUNDS, THAT'S WHEN THEY WOULD BE APPROPRIATED.COMMISSIONER FERNET IS IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN HAVE MORE TIME TO BAKE THIS OUT, PERHAPS IN A SPECIAL FINANCE MEETING AND, AND, AND DISCUSS THAT.
BUT WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.
WELL, YOU WANNA, DO YOU WANNA WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION AND, AND HA AND MAYBE REFER TO FINANCE MEETING? I THINK I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE $11 MILLION FROM THIS YEAR WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT BELONGS TO THE RESIDENT BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT MONEY THAT WE STILL DON'T EVEN HAVE.
WE, WE HAVE UNTIL WHAT, NOVEMBER? WHAT JASON, THERE, THERE THE NOVEMBER, THERE'S A NOVEMBER SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING WHERE THE, UH, SURPLUS GETS APPROPRIATE.
WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE A RE COMMISSIONER YOU, WE CAN MAKE A RESOLUTION TODAY TO, UH, HAVE THIS ITEM COME UP AT THE NOVEMBER SPECIAL MEETING FOR A REBATE TO, FOR THE 2025, UH, YEAR.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE RIGHT NOW WHO AND WHO CHERRY PICK WHO GETS IT.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY SAY, I THINK WE NEED TO AGREE THAT THIS MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO US.
THIS MONEY SHOULD GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR, THIS MONEY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER BOT.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE FOR AN ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED, RIGHT? UM, AT THE OCTOBER MEETING TO HASH THAT, TO RECOMMEND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO DO THIS.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN ADVANCE OF THE NOVEMBER DEADLINE TO HASH THIS OUT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A FULL YEAR'S BUDGET TO TALK ABOUT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED ALL THE TIME.
WE, WE CAN HAVE, I THINK THERE IS, UH, ENOUGH SUPPORT TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION MM-HMM
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A SPONSOR IF, IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND, UM, AND SO I THINK THERE'S A, A, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO LET'S, LET'S, THE MOTION IS SECOND TO PASS IT TODAY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S A REFERRAL.
NO, IT'S, WE CAN'T PASS IT TODAY.
WE HAVE TO DO IT TODAY TO BRING THE CLOSE OF THE BUDGET.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION BECAUSE THIS REQUIRES LOGISTICS AND THEY NEED DIRECTION SO THAT THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO DECIDE TODAY, DO WE WANT TO DO THIS SO THAT THEY CAN COME BACK TO US AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH THE PLAN ON HOW TO GET IT DONE.
AND IF WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT FINDING EFFICIENCIES, IT STARTS BY TELLING THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANNA, THAT WE NEED TO TAX 'EM AN EXTRA $149 THAT WE CAN SEND THEM BACK $776.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A POSITION WE'RE IN TODAY.
WE CAN ACTUALLY BE SENDING THEM BACK THIS MONEY THAT BELONGS TO COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
MR. CFOI JUST NEED A QUICK PRIMER ON, ON HOW TAXES WORK, RIGHT? YOU PAY THEM.
WE HAVE, OH, TRUST ME, I KNOW
SO IF WE WOULD SEND BACK A DIVIDEND OR REBATE CHECK FOR EVERY FOLIO, IT'S ESSENTIALLY $200 PER HOUSEHOLD.
SO THOSE PEOPLE, NOT PER HOUSEHOLD PORTFOLIO.
SO THAT MIGHT INCLUDE SHOPPING CENTERS, HOTEL THAT MIGHT INCLUDE EMPTY HOTELS, THAT MIGHT INCLUDE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO IF WE LIMITED IT TO RESIDENTIAL, RIGHT, WE'RE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO DO A REBATE TO COMMERCIAL FOLIOS.
SO IT'D ACTUALLY BE EVEN MORE WHAT ABOUT STRUGGLING BUSINESSES? WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE MOM AND POP SHOPS WHO ARE ALSO STRUGGLING LIKE ON LINCOLN ROAD? SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE, UM, THEY DON'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES IF WE ESSENTIALLY DO A REBATE CHECK THERE, RIGHT? HOW TAXES WORK IN THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THEM, THE IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE THAT CRIED ON MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE SHOULDER IN NORTH BEACH, THEY WOULD GET A $200 AT MINIMUM CHECK IF WE ACTUALLY ROLLED BACK MILLAGE, RIGHT? AREN'T THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THESE 40, 50, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS HOMES GOING TO SEE A LION'S SHARE OF THE SAVINGS AND THOSE POOR PEOPLE UP IN NORTH BEACH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT $200 SAVINGS, RIGHT? THEY'RE GONNA GET $15.
OKAY? THAT'S THE WAY TAXES WORK.
OKAY? IT'LL BE THE MULTI MULTIMILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER CEOS LIVING IN THE $75 MILLION HOMES THAT ARE SAVING A ROUNDING ERROR FOR THEM.
OKAY? BUT IT'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT THOSE PEOPLE UP IN NORTH BEACH, WHO I KNOCKED ON THEIR DOORS AS WELL, AND I WENT INTO THEIR HOMES AND THEY MADE ME CAFECITO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE SEEING A $200 DIVIDEND BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE RENTING ONE, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THAT MONEY GETS PASSED THROUGH TO THEM.
[01:40:01]
THE WAY PROGRESSIVE TAXES WORK, THE LION'S SHARE OF SAVINGS IS GONNA BE SEEN BY THE 0.1%.AND A, THE MINIS AMOUNT IS GOING TO FLOW THROUGH TO OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, JUST TO THAT POINT, YES, PROPERTY TAXES ARE PROGRESSIVE TAX.
SO YES, THE, IT'S ALL BASED IN THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME.
SO IF YOU HAVE A A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS HOME OR $10 MILLION HOME, YOU PAY MORE TAXES VERSUS SOMEONE THAT MAY HAVE A, A HOMESTEAD OR YOU KNOW, A PROPERTY THAT'S TAXED THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR 200,000 OR 300,000 OR 4,000 WILL PAY PROPORTIONATELY LESS.
IF THERE IS A TAX RATE REDUCTION, THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS WOULD GO PROGRESSIVELY DOWN FROM THE TOP.
I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER, WE TODAY HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY.
HOMEOWNERS THAT LIVE IN CONDOMINIUMS, WHO THEY WANNA SELL THEIR UNITS.
THEY CAN'T EVEN, THEY CAN'T FIND BUYERS TO BUY THEIR UNITS.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH TREMENDOUS ASSESSMENTS.
AND THIS MONEY CAN HELP THESE PEOPLE MAKE ENDS MEET AT A TIME WHEN THE MARKET IS WORKING AGAINST THEM AND THE MARKET IS WORKING AGAINST THESE INDIVIDUALS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS IS GOING TO HELP A LOT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CALL US, WHO CALL US AND SAY, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ME WITH MY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT? I CAN'T AFFORD THIS.
WELL, HERE'S SOMETHING THIS IS, IS IT THE GREATEST THING? IS IT THE BIGGEST ASSISTANCE WE CAN GIVE THEM? NO.
IT'S THEIR MONEY THAT WE CAN PUT BACK IN THEIR POCKET.
AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE HOLDING IT FROM THEM.
I THINK THEIR, IT BELONGS BEST IN THEIR POCKETS, BUT MR. CHAIR, CALL THE VOTE IT.
WE, YOU DO REALIZE, I HOPE I'M, I I I THINK I'M RELAYING WHAT RESIDENTS ARE THINKING WHERE, WHERE WE'VE ALL MADE GOOD POINTS, REALLY GOOD POINTS, BUT IT'S BEING REPETITIVE AT THIS POINT.
SO LET'S, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, LET'S CALL THE VOTE.
LET'S, LET'S GET A GOOD STANDING.
WHAT IS THE MOTION, RAFAEL? LET'S HERE DO WANT ME TO SURE.
UM, THE MOTION IS YOUR HONOR, TO DIRECT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO COME BACK AT THE OCTOBER MEETING WITH A GAME PLAN TO RETURN THE $11 MILLION OR THE ANTICIPATED APPROXIMATELY $11 MILLION SURPLUS TO HOMESTEAD OF PROPERTIES.
AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO BUILD IN SOMETHING FOR RENTERS, WE WILL LOOK INTO DOING THAT.
I THINK I, I ONLY GET ON BOARD IF WE'RE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY SPREAD THAT TO RESIDENTIAL FOLIOS.
I DON'T WANT IT JUST GOING TO, GIVEN THE POINT I JUST MADE, I DON'T WANT IT JUST GOING INTO HOMESTEADED AND I'LL AMEND MY MOTION TO, TO INCLUDE THAT SO WE CAN WORK ON THAT.
LET'S WORK ON THE, ON THE ITEMS SO THAT WE CAN BRING IT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
WHAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESIDENTIAL FOLIO THAT YOU'RE SAYING IN A HOMESTEADED PROPERTY? HOMESTEAD JUST MEANS THAT SOMEBODY LIVES THERE FULL TIME.
THAT IS A RESIDENTIAL OR FULL, YOU MEAN LIKE RENTERS TOO? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH.
I DON'T WANT TO INCLUDE THE FOUNTAIN BLUE.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY CAN'T HOMESTEAD A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
NO, BUT IF WE ONLY INCLUDE HOMESTEADED RESIDENTS, THEN OUR RENTERS ARE GOING TO GET NO DIVIDEND CHECK OR REBATE.
BUT HOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA SPEND A CHECK TO RENTERS IF WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE? DU WE HAVE RESIDENTIAL FOLIOS.
AND WELL, I MEAN, LISTEN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIGURE THIS OUT FROM THE DAYS THAT'S PART OF THE REFERRAL.
THIS IS A DIRECTION TO ASK THEM TO PUT TOGETHER THIS PLAN SO THAT THEY CAN BRING IT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT WE IN ESSENCE, ARE AGREEING THAT THIS EXTRA MONEY, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
WE ARE AGREEING THAT THIS EXTRA MONEY, WE WANT TO DIRECT IT, TO SEND IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO PAID IT, OUR RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS, AND FOR THEM TO COME BACK WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY FOR US AS THE STEWARD AND THE FIDUCIARIES OF THAT MONEY TO GIVE IT BACK TO THOSE WHO ENTRUSTED THIS MONEY ON US.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING TODAY.
THIS MONEY DOESN'T BELONG TO US.
WE WERE ABLE TO OPERATE A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE AN X-RAY $11 MILLION THAT WE, THAT WE WEREN'T COUNTING ON.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK.
SO COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH THE PLAN, WITH A GAME PLAN ON HOW TO MOST FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY GET THIS BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS.
CAN YOU ADD ME AS A SPONSOR? UM, SO WE'RE ALL CO-SPONSORING.
I JUST WANNA SAY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS BRILLIANT.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE HAD THAT 11, NO, 11 MILLION IN RESERVES.
I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT RESERVE SURPLUS, IT'S SURPLUS.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE MEETING OUR RESERVES.
WE HAVE COMMISSION POLICY THAT 25% HAS TO GO TO OUR RESERVES.
[01:45:01]
AND COMMISSIONER.WE'RE ACTUALLY EXCEEDING OUR RESERVE POLICY, CORRECT.
ON BOTH THE GENERAL FUND AND THE RESORT TAX WHERE WE HAVE OUT, UH, FOR TWO MONTHS AND WE'RE ACTUALLY EXCEEDING THAT, UH, FOR THREE MONTHS FOR THE RESORT TAXES.
THE, THE POLICY IS TO HAVE, UH, THREE MONTHS, TWO MONTHS AS THE EMERGENCY RESERVE IS A REQUIREMENT AND THE ONE MONTH GOAL, 25%.
SO IN TOTAL WE DO MEET THE GOAL AND THE REQUIRE, UH, THE REQUIREMENT AND THE GOAL.
BUT WE HAVE OUR HIGHEST GENERAL FUND RESERVES AND THE LAST TWO YEARS THE HIGHEST RESORT TAX RESERVES, CORRECT? CORRECT.
WELL, I THINK YOU'VE SEEN THE RISE OF A LOT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT ARE ASSESSED AND BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW AT $30 MILLION, $40 MILLION, $50 MILLION.
NORTH BAY ROAD ALONE, I THINK HAS SOMETHING LIKE $1.8 BILLION IN VALUE VALUATION.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT RIGHT NOW IN THESE NEW CONSTRUCTIONS.
SO I, THE RESIDENTS ARE DEFINITELY GONNA BENEFIT FROM THAT.
HEY, CAN WE CALL THE VOTE? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
SO I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, SECONDED BY MAYOR MINOR.
UH, I'VE, I'VE HEARD THAT COM UH, MAYOR MINOR IS LISTED AS A CO PRIME SPONSOR.
EVERYONE ELSE IS LISTED AS A CO-SPONSOR.
WELL, ACTUALLY YOU SHOULD ANSWER THAT
WE ARE ONE BODY AND WE WORK IN UNISON.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? THE MOTION IS APPROVED.
THE ITEM WILL COME BACK ON OCTOBER 29TH.
[R7 A A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING: 1) THE FINAL AD VALOREM MILLAGE OF 5.8702 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES, WHICH IS SIX AND FIVE TENTHS PERCENT (6.5%) MORE THAN THE "ROLLED-BACK" RATE OF 5.5114 MILLS; AND 2) THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE RATE OF 0.2779 MILLS.]
YOU.R SEVEN A FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
R SEVEN A IS A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR OF CITY COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ADOPTING ONE TO FINAL AVALOR MILLAGE OF 5.8702 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR GENERAL OPERATING PURPOSES, WHICH IS SIX AND FIVE TENTHS, UH, MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 5.5114 MILS.
AND TWO, THE DEBT SERVICE MILIT RATE OF 0.2779 MILS.
THIS IS A SECOND READING PUBLIC HEARING.
IT IS ITEM R SEVEN A COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
SO IF FOR THOSE FOLLOWING AT HOME, UH, LAST MEETING, UH, AND IN OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO THIS, WE DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO IDENTIFY GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCIES AND COST SAVINGS METRICS.
AND MR. CFO, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE WENT ESSENTIALLY LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM THROUGH THAT.
CORRECT? I WORKED CLOSELY WITH YOUR TEAM, I KNOW YOU WORKED WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND WE IDENTIFIED OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF THIS BUDGET THAT WE CUT.
OUR GENERAL FUND AT RESORT TAX, TWO AND A HALF MILLION, THERE WAS A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN OTHER FUNDS.
I THINK THE TOTAL WILL BE 2.75 ACROSS ALL FUNDS, BUT TWO AND A MILLION.
AND THAT IS NOT ONE TIME PAYMENTS EVERY SINGLE YEAR GOING FORWARD BECAUSE OF THOSE ITEMS CORRECT.
THOSE ARE THE RECURRING COST SAVINGS EACH AND EVERY YEAR WE HAVE ALREADY CUT.
AND WHAT I SUGGESTED OR ACTUALLY GAVE DIRECTION TO, UH, LAST MEETING IS LET'S KEEP GOING BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE TAXPAYER MONEY.
OKAY? SO WHILE ME AND MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE HAD A PRETTY HEATED DEBATE, IT REALLY CENTERED ON HOW WE WENT ABOUT THIS, NOT ABOUT THE PREMISE OF DOING SO.
AND I THINK YOU'VE SEEN A PRETTY ALIGNED COMMISSION IN PUTTING FORWARD SOME OF THESE MEASURES.
NOW, I DO BELIEVE HOW THIS PROCESS IS LAID OUT, WE MAY BE LIMITED JUST BECAUSE OF THE GRANULARITY THAT WE HAVE.
BUT GIVEN THE DIRECTIVE THAT I MADE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE HAVE EXHIBIT E RIGHT HERE OF MORE MONEY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SPEND, UH, SAVE GOING FORWARD FOR 2026.
AND I THINK WE COLLECTIVELY AGREED THAT WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY GO ITEM BY ITEM AND TAKE A VOTE ON WHAT STAYS AND WHAT GOES.
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING, YOUR UNDERSTANDING, MR. CITY BADGER? THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AND THAT WORKS WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
CAN I MOST ORGANIZATIONS CREATE THEIR BUDGETS IN THE SUMMER, CORRECT? DEPENDENT ON THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BUDGETED IN OUR BUDGET.
SO IF WE BEGIN CUTTING THESE ITEMS RIGHT NOW, ARE ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET WHOLE? AND I THINK IT'S VERY FAIR TO TO POINT OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS BOOGEYMAN OF THE TAX INCREASE.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR OVERALL BUDGET THIS YEAR, THE MAIN INCREASES CAME FROM POLICE AND FIRE.
UM, POLICE WERE, UH, LET'S SEE, $15 MILLION AND THEN FIRE WAS 10,743,000.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, 25, 20 $6 MILLION IN INCREASE.
THE MILL IS, IT'S ALL COMING FROM, IT'S ALL GOING TO POLICE AND FIRE.
[01:50:01]
LIKE TO POINT OUT SOME THINGS BEFORE WE START CUTTING LINE BY LINE, BECAUSE I LOOKED AT THIS BUDGET VERY HOLISTICALLY.YOU KNOW, CODE COMPLIANCE WENT DOWN BY 1% THIS YEAR, OKAY? AND WE ONLY SPEND, WE'RE ONLY GONNA SPEND $7.5 MILLION ON CODE COMPLIANCE WHEN WE HEAP SO MUCH ON THEM.
MEANWHILE, YOU HAVE POLICE AT $166 MILLION, 20 TIMES CODE, CODE COMPLIANCE.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT ALLOCATION.
I JUST WANNA PUT EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU.
WE HAVE 132 MILLION BUDGETED FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN COMPARISON.
CODE COMPLIANCE IS ONLY 7.5 MILLION.
ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS, ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE I THINK WE NEED MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE IS, UH, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS, UH, IN THAT DEPARTMENT FINISHING THESE PROJECTS.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING SO HARD AND NOT BLAMING THAT DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE.
WE'RE SPENDING LESS IN CODE COMPLIANCE.
WE'RE ELIMINATING POSITIONS IN CODE COMPLIANCE.
ALL OUR ENTIRE PUBLIC WORKS IS $18 MILLION.
WHEN WE START TO NICKEL AND DIME THESE BUDGETS, THESE LINE ITEMS, RIGHT NOW, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE DONE THEIR BUDGETS, IT'S DISINGENUOUS BECAUSE WHEN THOSE CONTRACTS WERE SIGNED, THE CITY MANAGER NEEDED TO COME TO US AND SAY, THIS IS GOING TO BLOAT YOUR BUDGET BY 26, YOUR OPERATING BUDGET BY $26 MILLION.
AND YOU KNOW, WE SAID, OH, THIS IS GONNA ADD 7 MILLION HERE.
BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS OF THE $26 MILLION OPERATING BLOAT THAT WILL GROW YEAR OVER YEAR, THAT REPRESENTS, UM, 9% FOR FIRE AND 10% FOR POLICE.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE WERE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS OR IF THIS WAS JUST PART OF THE, THE CONTRACT, BUT THOSE ARE HUGE NUMBERS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I WANNA CUT ANY, UM, POLICE OFFICER'S SALARY, BUT DID WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE SIGNED THESE CONTRACTS AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WENT IN AND, YOU KNOW, NEGOTIATED THESE CONTRACTS, THAT THESE WERE GOING TO SWELL THE BUDGET THE WAY THAT THEY WERE TO THE POINT WHERE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT, UM, IS KIND OF REELING.
AND BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT APART FROM LEGAL, BY THE WAY, LEGAL GOT AN ADDITIONAL 5%, BUT YOU WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY BUDGET.
THE, UH, CITY CLERK GOT 2.8% INCREASE, BUT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TOOK A HIT OF 9%.
SO YOU CUT 9% FROM YOUR BUDGET.
UM, MOST OF OUR DEPARTMENTS MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION HAD A BUDGET DECREASE.
YOU KNOW, SO ACROSS THE CITY WE'VE SLASHED, UM, A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS.
I WANNA SAY THANK GOODNESS FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WAS NOT SLASHED AND YOU ADDED MONEY THERE.
BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHY IS CODE COMPLIANCE SO ANEMIC? AND WHY IS, WHY ARE WE NOT ADDING MORE TO CODE WHEN WE EXPECT SO MUCH OF OUR CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT? SO I'M ASSUMING THAT QUESTION IS FOR ME, COMMISSIONER.
UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS.
WE DO ASK A LOT OF ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY ARE ALL OUT THERE MANY TIMES, MUCH MORE THAN 40 HOURS A WEEK DELIVERING SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THEM TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RIGHT SIZE TO DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT THE RESIDENTS EXPECT AND THAT YOU ALL HAVE DIRECTED ME TO PROVIDE.
AND SO I, THIS IS MY RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BUDGET AS PRESENTED THAT HAS WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SERVICES BASED ON THE EXPECTATIONS AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIRECTION OF THIS COMMISSION, MR. CHAIR, COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, UH, ERIC, HOW MUCH NEW REVENUE ARE WE GETTING BACK FROM THE NEW PROPERTIES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE? WHAT'S THE NEW TAX BASE ON THAT? SO I BELIEVE THERE WAS A BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, JASON OR TAMIKA, CAN YOU ANSWER WHAT IS A BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION GENERATED IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE? IT WAS $4 MILLION, BUT I'M JUST GOING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
IT COULD JUST BE THE ONE PROJECT WAS $4 MILLION OR NEW CONSTRUCT, A NEW CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR WAS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION.
I MEAN, SIMPLE MATH, 5.8 MILS TIMES A BILLION DOLLARS, $5.8 MILLION.
BUT I JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT MY MATH IS RIGHT.
YEAH, SIX FIVE PARK 6.1 BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE OVER A BILLION.
SO WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GETTING SIX AND A HALF EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR BECAUSE OF PROPERTIES COMING ONLINE, RIGHT.
[01:55:01]
YET WE'RE STILL GONNA INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP.I UNDERSTAND THAT COMES FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL.
WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS LET'S ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE SO THAT WE'RE AT THE BASELINE MILLAGE RATE OF 5.5114.
WE, WE SAVE OUR, OUR EVERYONE IN THE CITY, THESE TAXES.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERY ART, CULTURAL, SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE NEED TO FEED, PEOPLE NEED TO FEED THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE RENT.
I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND AND I THINK YOU HAVE FLOAT IN SOME AREAS.
BUT REMEMBER, WE'RE A BILLION DOLLAR, BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR 80,000 RESIDENTS.
THAT'S, YOU CAN'T SIT HERE AND TRY TO NICKEL AND DIME.
I'M NOT NICKEL AND D THOUSAND HERE, 60,000 THERE.
WHEN YOU HAVE $26 MILLION IN LABOR UNION CONTRACTS THAT ARE FAIRLY, IT'S, IT'S BLOATED.
THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT PRIORITIES.
THE PRIORITIES ARE INFRASTRUCTURE, RESILIENCY, HOME AFFORDABILITY.
WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT TIME NOW.
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CASE 10 YEARS AGO, UNDER LIKE COMMI, UNDER MAYOR GELBER.
BUT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES.
OUR PRIORITIES ARE KEEPING OUR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES, MAKING SURE THEY CAN EAT.
IT'S NOT SO THAT THEY CAN GO TO A SHOW.
THEY WANT TO HAVE MORE MONEY TO SAVE.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE HOW MUCH IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS DO WE HAVE, JASON? HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE? 138 MILLION.
HOW MUCH? WELL, IN THE BUDGET, IT'S 138 OVER THE COURSE OF ALL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
OH, UNFUNDED IS A 1.3 BILLION.
$1.3 BILLION IN UNFUNDED CAPITAL IMPROVE.
RIGHT? IT'D BE ONE WATER SEWER.
THAT'S, THAT'S A PRIORITY THAT EVERYONE IN MIAMI BEACH IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM.
BUT NOT EVERYONE IS GONNA BENEFIT FROM GOING TO A SHOW AT AN ARTS AND CULTURE.
A DESTINATION, I'M SORRY, IS A, YOU'RE NICKEL AND DIAMOND AT THE PICTURE OF SALARY.
CAN I FINISH? PLEASE? CAN I FINISH PLEASE? I'M, I'M SPEAKING.
I'M ESPECIALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
72, 70 3% OF THE BUDGET I DID NOT INTERRUPT YOU OUT OF CONTROL ON I DID NOT INTERRUPT YOU.
I'M SIMPLY SAYING WE HAVE, I KNOW, BUT IT'S DISINGENUOUS TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THESE, IT'S NOT DISINGENUOUS.
I SIMPLY SAYING, WE HAVE A PRIORITY, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER SUAREZ, COMMISSIONER BOT AND COMMISSIONER ROSE GONZALEZ, PLEASE.
OUR PRIORITIES NOW ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE PRIORITIES WE HAD 10 YEARS AGO.
THE PRIORITIES WE HAVE NOW IS AFFORDABILITY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND THEN THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
OKAY? SO ANYTHING ELSE? IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ARTS AND CULTURE.
IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEAN AND SAFE.
WE'RE OUR PRIORITIES AS A GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR 80,000 RESIDENTS.
I'M SIMPLY SAYING THIS IS MY PRIORITY.
MY PRIORITY IS, IS THE BASICS FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT, CLEANLINESS, SAFETY, RESILIENCY.
SO, JASON, UM, I I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
SO I'M JUST LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW SO PEOPLE DON'T JUMP IN AS I GET MY ANSWERS AND THEN HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, SO WE HAVE A, AN 82,000 PERSON CITY, AND WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, BUT IF YOU COMPARED US TO ANY OTHER 82 PERSON, 82,000 PERSON CITY IN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, MICHIGAN OR NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE TO, OUR BUDGET HAS TO COVER WHAT HAPPENS ON SUPER BOWL WEEKEND WHEN IT'S HOSTED HERE.
AND OUR BUDGET HAS TO COVER ART BASEL AND OUR BUDGET, NOT, NOT THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMPONENT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO COVER, UM, WHEN WATER PALOOZA COMES IN, WE HAVE TO COVER WHEN THE SEA, THE SEAFOOD, UM, UH, SOBEY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL COMES IN WHEN, UM, WHEN FOR MEMORIAL DAY, WE'VE GOT THE AIR AND SEA SHOW, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY PAYING FOR THAT, ALTHOUGH WE DO AS A CITY CHOOSE TO USE SOME OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR THOSE THINGS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT THAT WE GET ON THE, THE ROI THAT WE GET ON THE MONIES THAT WE
[02:00:01]
INVEST TO HELP THOSE EVENTS HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY, IS WORTH THE MONEY.WE WOULDN'T BE DOING IT IF WE THOUGHT IT WAS A LOSS LEADER, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT DOING IT OUTTA THE KINDNESS OF OUR HEART.
WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE THINK THAT HAVING THE AARON SEA SHOW COME IN FOR, FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS IN, UM, IN OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND GENERATES A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY THAT WE WOULDN'T GET ANY OTHER WAY.
IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU MIGHT BE SPEAKING TO IS WE HAVE THE 80 TO 85,000 RESIDENTS WE HAVE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, WE'RE MORE OF A CITY OF A QUARTER MILLION, UH, OR HIGH IMPACT UP TO HALF A BILLION DURING, DURING HIGH IMPACT WEEKENDS AND EVERYTHING.
I'M SURE IF YOU TOOK THIS CITY AND YOU PLUNKED IT IN IDAHO, UH, FOR 80 OR 85,000, THE BUDGET OVERALL WOULD BE SMALLER.
BUT AGAIN, THIS ISN'T JUST ALSO TO THE GENERAL FUND.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HAVING PARKING FUNDS, WATER AND SEWER, STORM WATER.
YOU HAVE MANY DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES.
UM, BUT YES, IT IS DEFINITELY IMPACTED BY THE FACT THAT WE ARE SERVICING A MUCH LARGER COMMUNITY THAN THE 80,000, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY, BOTH ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THIS DAIS AND THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE LISTENING NEED TO REMEMBER.
BECAUSE LISTEN, I RAN FOR OFFICE AND I SAID IT BECAUSE IT'S, IT SOUNDS CRAZY ON ITS FACE.
WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR LESS THAN 90,000 PEOPLE LIVING HERE.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, WE'RE 250,000 PEOPLE HERE WHO MAYBE DON'T LIVE HERE, BUT GOD FORBID THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
AND WE, WE NEED POLICE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND.
AND ALSO E THANKFULLY, THERE AREN'T EMERGENCIES VERY OFTEN, BUT WE NEED POLICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CROWDS ARE BEHAVING THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
AND, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEBODY GETS HEAT STROKE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SAYING THAT NEGOTIATIONS GOING FORWARD CAN'T BE DIFFERENT AND MORE STRINGENT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, MY COLLEAGUES DON'T REMEMBER THE VERY ROBUST AND VERY CONTENTIOUS, UM, NEGOTIATIONS WE HAD ABOUT THESE VERY ISSUES SAYING THAT THESE CONTRACTS HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT BEEN WHAT WE THINK IS, IS GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THE ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU WERE REALLY GREAT ABOUT THAT.
SAYING, WE WANT MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE, UM, UH, FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
AND THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME WAS EVERYBODY AGREED.
I MEAN, I WASN'T PRIVY TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ONE, BUT CHIEF JONES WAS SITTING AT THE TABLE SAYING, YEAH, THERE SHOULD BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TO MOVE US TO THAT.
RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE SAY THIS, THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, 82,000 RESIDENTS, THAT IS A TRUE STATEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT THE ENTIRETY OF THE TRUTH, RIGHT? SO JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A FACT THAT'S TRUE, DOESN'T MAKE IT THE ONLY FACT THAT'S TRUE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE REMEMBER.
AGAIN, UM, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER.
UM, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ALL MOVING TOWARDS.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ON THE FIRM COMMITTEE THAT I VERY PROUDLY SIT ON WITH JOE, I THINK YOU DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THINGS BETTER WITHOUT BLOWING THINGS UP, WHICH IS A REAL SKILL, BECAUSE A LOT OF, A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE TO BLOW THINGS UP AND START FROM SCRATCH, BUT THAT'S NOT REAL.
YOU CAN'T BLOW IT UP BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO GO TO WORK THE NEXT DAY.
AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON THE LIGHTS COMING ON AND WATER FLUSHING, UH, IN THEIR TOILETS.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S ONE THING.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY, BECAUSE IT COMES UP AS A, UM, AS A BOGEY BOGEYMAN ALL THE TIME, AND I, I THINK IT'S DANGEROUS TO HAVE THIS BE A BOGEYMAN.
WE'RE, WE'RE USING THE TERM ARTS AND CULTURE LIKE IT IS, UM, TOXIC WASTE.
LIKE, I DON'T WANT THAT IN MY BACKYARD.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT TO THAT, THAT ARTS AND CULTURE HELPS KIDS LEARN BETTER.
DON'T, DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
STUDY IT, LOOK IT UP ON GOOGLE.
SEE WHAT STEM AND STEAM DOES FOR KIDS', UM, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND WE HELP UNDERWRITE THAT.
WE DON'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON IT, BUT WE DO SPEND SOME, IT'S WHY PEOPLE MOVE TO MIAMI BEACH.
'CAUSE OUR SCHOOLS ARE BETTER THAN IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
ARE THEY AS GOOD AS WE WANT THEM TO BE? THEY WILL NEVER BE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA WANT THEM TO BE BETTER, BUT THEY'RE BETTER THAN MOST COMMUNITIES.
AND YOU GUYS SHOULD BE TOO, BECAUSE A COMMUNITY IS ABOUT NOT JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR NEXT GENERATION, RIGHT? SO, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE ALSO BRINGS IN A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE CITY.
AND I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY IT'S JUST NOT TRUE.
WHO NEEDS ARTS AND CULTURE? BUT AGAIN, DON'T, DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE AND I, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE
[02:05:01]
SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULDN'T GET FUNDED? LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.THAT IS A VERY VALID CONVERSATION.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO MOVE TO MIAMI, UH, TO MIAMI BEACH, PART OF WHAT THEY'RE CHOOSING IS TO BE ABLE TO COME AND GO OUT TO DINNER AT AN A NICE RESTAURANT, WHETHER THAT'S A REALLY FANCY RESTAURANT OR IF IT'S A LITTLE NITA, THEY'RE EQUALLY FABULOUS.
AND EITHER WALK TO A FREE CONCERT SOMEPLACE OR WALK TO A SHOW ON LINCOLN ROAD.
THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO ARTS AND CULTURE THAT ARE FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR OUR KIDS, FOR OUR RESIDENTS, FOR OUR VISITORS.
AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES MIAMI BEACH A DESTINATION THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME LIVE HERE FOR.
AND ALSO WANT TO COME AND SPEND THEIR DOLLARS HERE ON VACATION.
AND IF WE START, UM, THIS NARROW-MINDED VIEW OF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO BE FUNDED IN THE CITY OTHER THAN INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IS A PROBLEM.
BECAUSE THEN WE LOSE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE GETS FUNDED, RIGHT? IF PEOPLE STOP COMING HERE, IF PEOPLE START MOVING, STOP MOVING THEIR BUSINESSES HERE.
IF, WHICH AGAIN, JOE CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT.
WE'VE GOT A NEW BUSINESS COMING HERE WITH 200 SUPER HIGH PAID EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? IF THAT STOPS HAPPENING, THEN WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR THE SEWER PIPES THAT NEED REPLACING? GUESS, GUESS WHO'S GOING, GUESS WHO'S GONNA HAVE TO GET THEIR TAXES RAISED? WE ARE, RIGHT.
SO I, I REALLY, I WANT US TO BE MINDFUL AND I, I, I SHARE THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, NOT GETTING FUNDED AS QUICKLY AS IT SHOULD.
IT, LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YEARS AGO.
AND GUESS WHO IS FINALLY TAKING THE FOOT OFF THE BREAK? IS THE PEOPLE SITTING HERE TODAY.
AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
ALSO, BY THE WAY, LET'S NOT FORGET THAT IF WE ALL WON THE LOTTO AND COULD FUND EVERYTHING TOMORROW, CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT TRYING TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN MIAMI BEACH WOULD BE LIKE, YOU'D, WE'D ALL NEED TO BUY, YOU KNOW, HOVERCRAFT FOR EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW? SO LET'S, LET'S BE SMART ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
WE ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO CUT MONEY IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET GOING FORWARD IN WAYS THAT WON'T DESTROY, BLOW UP.
WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE MONEY BACK.
WELL, WE ARE, UH, EXPECTING TO HAVE AN $11 MILLION THAT WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO REDISTRIBUTE BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS.
SO LET'S DO IT IN A WAY THAT THAT WILL NOT BLOW THINGS UP FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU, JASON, IS BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT MULTIPLE TIMES ALREADY, BUT I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY HAS HEARD IT.
IF WE CUT THE MILLAGE RATE FOR 2026, THAT IS A CUT FOR ONE YEAR THAT WILL GROW AND BALLOON AND DO DAMAGE FOR YEARS TO COME, AND SOMEBODY WILL, IT'S KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE SOMEBODY WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO FILL THAT HOLE IN 2, 3, 4 YEARS WHEN IT BALLOONS.
IS THAT A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING? UH, YES.
I THINK, UH, THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ WAS ALLUDING TO EARLIER ON THE EARLIER DISCUSSION IS WHEN YOU, UH, LOWER THAT MILLAGE OR YOU SUCCUMB TO THAT PRESSURE, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LOWER TO A ROLLBACK RATE.
IT COULD DEFINITELY COULD EXASPERATE BUDGETARY ISSUES GOING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IN A, IN A, IN A SCENARIO.
AND I'VE HAD LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS OF 27 OR 28 IS THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE IN A DEFICIT, IT MAY BE MORE LIKELY AND THAT WE ARE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE DECREASING INCREASES TO OUR PROPERTY VALUE, WHICH IS WHY SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT ON THE, THE BUDGET ITEM NEXT, UH, WHICH WOULD BE TO KEEP THE MILLAGE THE SAME AND THEN IN THE BUDGET MAYBE MAKES, IF I THINK THE COMMISSIONER'S INTENT IS TO MAKE SOME REDUCTIONS TO KEEP THAT MONEY SET ASIDE FOR 27.
IN FACT, AND MR. CITY ATTORNEY, WE CAN'T BIFURCATE BETWEEN ROLLING BACK COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL RATES.
YOU CAN'T BE DISCRIMINATORY IN YOUR PROPERTY TAX RATES.
SO IF WE ACTUALLY, I'M SO SORRY.
DO THE IMPLEMENT COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ MECHANISM GOING FORWARD, I'M SORRY, THE FINE, IT DOESN'T NEED TAX RELIEF.
THE FOUNTAIN BLUE DOESN'T NEED TAX RELIEF.
BUT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY THEN SEND ANY SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS HOMESTEADED AND NON-HOMESTEAD, RIGHT.
AND GIVE THAT TAX RELIEF WHERE IT TRULY BELONGS.
AND, AND THAT IS A NOBLE EFFORT THAT THAT IS OUR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENCE.
AND MAY MAY, I MAY, I THANK YOU.
AND, AND I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER POPER, I I AM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE ALREADY LIVING HERE.
NOT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING HERE.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING HERE ARE EXPERIENCING FLOODING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES, OKAY? ONCE A YEAR WITH A RAINSTORM, MANY HOMES ON ALTON ROAD,
[02:10:01]
THEY GET FLOODED AND UP TWO INCHES INTO THEIR HOME.THAT'S WHO I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT.
I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY HERE, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA COME.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T FIX THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN MIAMI BEACH, NO ONE'S GONNA WANNA LIVE HERE.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE CORRECT.
WE HAVE SERIOUS RESILIENCY ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT ARE MUCH MORE OF A PRIORITY THAN ARTS AND CULTURE.
SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE, I DON'T AGREE.
I DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE CREATING A WAY OF PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS IF WE'RE GOING TO, UH, LOWER THE TAXES OR, OR ROLL BACK THE TAX RATE.
AND YES, THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO, UH, AND, AND, AND BUSINESSES THAT BENEFIT FROM THIS.
THERE'S GONNA BE PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO ARE RENTING THAT HOPEFULLY THEY GET PASSED BACK, PASSED THROUGH.
LIKE, UH, GERSHON JUST SAID IN HIS EMAIL, BUT WE WANNA BE FAIR.
WE CANNOT BE PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS WITH SOME GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT DECIDES WHO GETS A REBATE AND WHO DOESN'T.
THE MOST SIMPLE FAIR WAY OF DOING THIS IS JUST LOWERING TAXES.
EVERYONE BENEFITS, AND WE WANT, AND, AND TO SAY THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S STRUGGLING BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT NEED, UH, ASSISTANCE.
AND WHAT IF, WHAT IF THE TAXES FOR THE FIGHTING HAVE BECOME SO UNBEARABLE THAT THEY CLOSE DOWN AND THEN YOU HAVE AN EMPTY PROPERTY AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO THE GOOD TIME HOTEL IS A GOOD TIME HOTEL GONNA, UH, UH, BENEFIT FROM THIS? NO.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE TAXES ARE, ARE GOING UP EXTREMELY, UH, HIGH FOR THEM.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER VACANT PROPERTY SITTING IN MIAMI BEACH.
I THINK THE MOST REASONABLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY IS WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE, OKAY.
AT TO, TO AT LEAST WHAT THIS YEAR IS.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK.
IT'S, IT'S THE MOST FAIR WAY TO DO THAT.
WELL, HOW ABOUT WE SEE WHERE WE CAN GET WHERE AS WE'VE BEEN PROPOSING, WE'VE CUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ALREADY FROM 2026 BUDGET, AND WE HAVE EXHIBIT E HERE.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF ALL OF A SUDDEN SITTING HERE TODAY AND EXAMINING WHETHER WE ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE IS, AND FULL DISCLOSURE, MR. CFO NOT THROWING YOU GUYS UNDER THE BUS, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN IN FIGHTS BACK AND FORTH THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ITEMIZED BUDGET, RIGHT? SO ASIDE FROM OUR ENHANCEMENTS OR THE 1% REDUCTION IN EFFICIENCIES, WE DON'T HAVE THAT GRANULARITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE AIR AND SEA SHOW COSTS, RIGHT? I CAN'T PULL UP OUR BUDGET AND SAY, ERRAND SEA SHOW, I DON'T LIKE IT.
I'M USING THAT OBVIOUSLY AS AN EXAMPLE.
I LOVE THE ERRAND SEA SHOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT COSTS, BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM, IS WE DON'T HAVE AN ITEMIZED BUDGET.
AND WE BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE JUNE HEARING, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS HERE, AND THAT'S HOW IT GETS TO A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS AND THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE AND IS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE.
AND THERE'S LEGISLATION ALREADY COMING ON THE BOOKS TO PRODUCE THAT.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
BUT IF WE WOULD SIT HERE AND SAY, WELL, LET'S ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE.
IT'S NOT AS IF WE WOULD GET A SAY IN WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
IT MIGHT COME FROM ARTS AND CULTURE, IT MIGHT COME FROM INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT MIGHT COME FROM, SAY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT GRANULARITY.
THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE KIND OF IN FRONT OF US IS THIS EXHIBIT E.
WE'VE ALREADY CUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS AND WE HAVE SEVERAL MORE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE CAN CONSIDER.
BUT FURTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T SEE HOW WE GET TO A BRIDGE OF $27 MILLION.
NOW, WE'VE ALL SAT UP HERE, MADE OUR, UH, POINTS KNOWN.
I THINK WE START GOING THROUGH LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM ABOUT WHAT CAN BE REMOVED FROM THIS BUDGET.
WHAT IS THIS BLOAT THAT WE CAN, I'D SAY START ATTACKING, BUT CONTINUE ATTACKING BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEGAN DOING SO OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO KIND OF GO ITEM BY ITEM.
COMMISSIONER, IF I COULD JUST ASK, IS THIS ITEM IS TECHNICALLY THE MILLAGE IN ITS OWN SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING? AND I THINK THE DISCUSSION WE WERE HERE WAS REALLY ABOUT THE SECOND ITEM ON THE BUDGET, BECAUSE I THINK THE INTENTION WAS, ANY ADJUSTMENTS HERE, REDUCTION WISE WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR A BUDGET, UM, STABILIZATION FOR NEXT YEAR? UH, IT MAY BE JUST PROCEDURALLY, 'CAUSE THIS IS A, A BUDGET HEARING.
WE HAD TO BE VERY SPECIFIC IN HOW WE DO THINGS.
UM, UNLESS, UNLESS THE INTENTION IS TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE IS THE DEAL WITH, UH, THE MILLAGE DISCUSSION, UH, PUBLIC HEARING AND THE, AND THE VOTE ON THE MILLAGE AND THEN THROUGH THE BUDGET'S, KIND OF A CHICKEN IN THE
[02:15:01]
EGG.RIGHT? IT CAN BE, WE, WE WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS.
IF YOU WANNA HAVE THAT DISCUSSION HERE.
WHY, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT BEFORE WE EVEN ENTERTAIN THAT? WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN CUT.
I, I DO BELIEVE, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T HAVE YOU BECAUSE THERE IS, IT IS QUITE A LONG DOCUMENT, BUT I BELIEVE WHEN WHAT YOU AND I BRIEFED, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT YOU HAD IDENTIFIED, I THINK ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO, UH, THAT YOU FELT THAT WERE NOT AS IMPACTING TO RESIDENTS, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED IT.
IT IS, BUT TO BE FAIR, THAT WAS JUST ME AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES SHOULD HAVE A SAY.
RIGHT? SO I THINK WE DON'T SPEND 10 MINUTES DISCUSSING AD NAUM, BUT WE SIT HERE AND SAY, OKAY, ELIMINATE ONE VACANT FULL-TIME FIELD INSPECTOR.
UH, IT SAYS THE, UM, THE ADJUSTMENT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE STREAMLINED AND EFFECTIVE OPERATION, ENSURING WE CONTINUE TO MEET OUR OBJECTIVES EFFECTIVELY, AND WE AIM TO MAINTAIN SERVICE QUALITY WHILE ACHIEVING COST SAVINGS.
I SURE THERE'S BEEN A, A VACANT POSITION IN THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE, UH, IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT WAS PROFFERED UP BY THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO, UH, TO DO THAT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UH, HE'S BEEN VACANT AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT THAT.
SO, OKAY, I'LL VOTE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THAT.
OF WHICH NUMBER ONE, ARE WE LIMITED? ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT A FIELDS INSPECTOR FOR CIP, THE ATTACHMENT E IS IN YOUR BUDGET BOOK PAGE 1 49.
AND SO ARE WE GOING, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE IMPACT FOR THIS YEAR, I GUESS WE ARE ASSUMING A YEAR ONE IMPACT.
SO WE WOULD IS DENOTE THAT'S A $70,000 EFFICIENCY.
WE WOULD DENOTE ALL OF THOSE, ADJUST ALL THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE.
AND THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS, I GUESS REPEAT THEM AT THE END AND SAY THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO THE OPERATING BUDGET, OPERATING BUDGET AS MEMBER AS BY HAVE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS. BY THE WAY THAT THE COMMISSION, I THINK THERE WAS INTEREST FROM THE 17TH WE TO BRING UP TO ADD, UH, BUT HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED.
IF WE'RE NOT ROLLING THE MILLAGE RATE BACK AND WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, THEN WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE RIGHT NOW? 'CAUSE WE CAN STILL REDUCE THE MILLAGE WITHOUT ROLLING BACK THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE IF WE, YES, WE ELIMINATE THE, BUT THIS IS ALL SOCIAL SERVICES.
I MEAN, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, LIKE THE REALTIME SPANISH CAPTIONING FOR CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE HAS EVER TOLD ME THAT THEY'VE SEEN SPANISH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON THE CITY COMMISSION.
MIGHT'VE TOLD ME IN SPANISH AND I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND.
YEAH, BUT THAT OPTION IS STILL THERE.
IF SOMEBODY DOES NEED THE CAPTIONS IN SPANISH, THEN THEY CAN HAVE IT.
AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH.
SO THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT USE THAT, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THESE ACTIONS.
YOU CAN ELIMINATE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME PUBLIC NOTICES FOR THE MIAMI HERALD, BUT YOU DO THAT AT THE COST OF NOT HAVING ANY PRESS OR INDEPENDENT OBJECTIVE WATCHDOG IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
WE NO LONGER HAVE, UM, A, A MIAMI HERALD'S REPORTER BECAUSE OF THIS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU ELIMINATED, YOU KNOW, $60,000 AND WE HAVE NO PRESS IN MIAMI BEACH.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.
AS A PROUD KEEPING AMERICAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DO NOT KNOW OF A SINGLE PERSON IN OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT WATCHES OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS IN THE SPANISH CLOSED CAPTIONING.
AND THAT'S $36,000 RIGHT THERE.
SO WE'RE SPENDING $36,000 ON SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT KNOW OF A SINGLE RESIDENCE IN OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT USES THIS.
YEAH, JUST REAL QUICK, LIKE ON NUMBER THREE, THE INTERPRETER SERVICES FOR SPECIAL MAGISTRATE.
THE SPECIAL MAGISTRATE REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, WE NEED THIS.
SO YOU SAY, OKAY, ITEM NUMBER ONE.
I THINK, I THINK I HAVE ITEM NUMBER ONE.
WELL, ION CAN WE JUST CALL A ROLL FOR EACH ONE? OKAY, JOE? YEAH.
SO ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, UH, IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATING ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? ITEM NUMBER ONE IS REMOVE SEVEN ZERO.
AND LET'S JUST GO DOWN THE LINE NUMBER TWO.
UM, I'M NOT A FAN OF AI, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A PERFECT USE FOR AI.
IS THAT NOT SOMETHING THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, UH, THAT WE'RE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH, THAT HAS TO BE TRANSLATED RIGHT INTO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT WORKS.
BE UPDATED, A LIVE PERSON FRIDAY.
WHO, IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S, THERE IS NO SUCH SERVICE RIGHT NOW THAT WE KNOW OF THAT WILL TRANSLATE REAL TIME.
EVERY RESIDENT IN MIAMI BEACH DESERVES TO HAVE ACCESS, UM, TO UNDERSTANDING OUR MEETINGS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, THAT WATCH OUR MEETINGS.
I GUARANTEE YOU THAT FUNCTION IS BEING USED SOMETIMES.
AND I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AN ITEM THAT IT'S AFFECTING THEM.
AND FOR SOME REASON WE MIGHT NOT, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
[02:20:01]
DISAGREE IN THE, IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS.I, I DO, I DO KNOW SOMEBODY WHO USES IT AS WELL.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SUPPORT TO KEEP IT.
BUT MR. CITY CLERK ROLL YOU, IF YOU FEEL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO, WHO USE IT.
I JUST THINK WE KNOW THAT WITH LIKE SIRI.
SIRI DOES LIVE TRANSLATION FROM ANY LANGUAGE, FROM ENGLISH TO ANY, YEAH.
UH, WE HAVE BRAZILIAN RESIDENTS HERE WHO ONLY SPEAK PORTUGUESE.
THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS THEM, BUT SIRI DOES ADDRESS.
THERE'S TECHNOLOGY THAT PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE.
BUT, BUT IF YOU'RE 70 YEARS OLD, IF YOU'RE OKAY, IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S SKIP IT.
SO IN ITEM NUMBER TWO, ALL IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATING IT, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO SIX ONE, THE ITEM IS NOT ELIMINATED.
THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, INTERPRETER SERVICES, SPECIAL MAGISTRATE HEARINGS.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, CHANGE MY VOTE.
WAIT, IT IS, I'M SORRY, SORRY.
FIVE TWO, ELIMINATE IT IS NOT ELIMINATED, IS NOT.
WAIT, IS IT FIVE IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATE WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING YES TO ELIMINATE CORRECT.
EACH ITEM A YES VOTE IS TO ELIMINATE, IT'S SAYING, OKAY, 2, 5, 2.
IF HE SAID IT'S REALLY NEEDED, IT'S A THOUSAND BUCKS NOW.
SO MIND YOU, FOR THREE, WE HAVE ENOUGH BUDGET LEFT BASED ON THE USAGE THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE.
ONE, WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THAT.
OUR SUGGESTION TO ELIMINATE IT.
'CAUSE WE CAN, SO YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT? OKAY, WITH THAT, BASED ON THE USAGE TODAY, WE COULD ELIMINATE A THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THAT.
SO THAT IS GETTING, THAT IS GETTING ELIMINATED.
WHAT IS NUMBER THREE? BUT IT'S NOT GETTING ELIMINATED THE SERVICE BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE BUDGETED.
AND BASED ON MY USAGE, I CAN CUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND STILL PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE.
RIGHT? WE'RE ELIMINATING THE THOUSAND DOLLARS, NOT THE SERVICE.
SO ITEM NUMBER THREE, ALL IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THAT ITEM, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
THERE ARE 66 ITEMS. THERE'S 66 ITEMS. JUST, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO ONE BY ONE.
DO MY BEST TO, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE DOING IT.
JUST, JUST GOTTA FINISH BY 1159 AND 59 SECONDS, RIGHT? WE'RE HERE.
WE HAVE ONE SHOT AT THIS AS A, AS A, AS A.
AGAIN, IF I CAN MAKE A SUGGESTION, CAN WE START WITH THE MOST IMPACT? WE DON'T HAVE TO START WITH LINE ONE.
MAYBE WE START IN, IN ORDER OF IMPACT.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THEM BY NOT, THEY'RE NOT DATA BY IMPACT.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY ALL OF THESE MOTIONS, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS PER THE, FOR THE COMMISSIONER IS THESE ITEMS WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR BUDGET STABILIZATION FOR NEXT YEAR.
THAT IS THE INTEREST AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA SAVE THAT MONEY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET DOUBLE MONEY.
YOU'RE GONNA GET SET ASIDE RECURRING MONEY FOR 27 AND THIS ONE TIME CASH WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR IT.
SO YOU'RE GETTING A DOUBLE ON THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR VALUES.
UH, SO ADVERTISING FOR PUBLIC NOTICES NUMBER FOUR, BASED ON PUBLICATIONS ONLINE, WE COULD ELIMINATE THAT WITHOUT ANY, AYE.
SO I, THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT READ PAPER PUBLICATIONS.
YOU ARE IGNORING AN ENTIRE DEMOGRAPHIC OF SENIOR CITIZENS.
DON'T WE? DON'T, DOESN'T THE CLERK GO, UM, SEND NOTICES TO THE SENIOR CENTERS? YES.
SO YEAH, BUT SO THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE IN SENIOR CENTERS.
WHAT IF I'M A 75-YEAR-OLD WHO GETS THE MIAMI HERALD WHO LIVES IN A CONDOMINIUM? NOW THEY DON'T DESERVE TO GET PUBLIC NOTICE.
THIS IS ONLY 2000 HERD SUBSCRIBERS.
SO THAT THOUSANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS, THIS IS HOW WE GET A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
I, THERE'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD JUST THIS BILLION DOLLARS THAT TO, TO START CUTTING 1000.
AND YOU'RE CUTTING FROM, WE'RE GOING LINE BY LINE.
YOU'RE CUTTING FROM SENIORS, YOU'RE CUTTING THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS EXERCISE IS.
I MEAN, IF WE, LET'S GO TO THE LARGER ITEMS THAT HAVE IMPACTS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC.
THIS LIST IS AN ALPHABETICAL ORDER AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS ALPHABETICAL ORDER, THERE'S GONNA BE HIGH TICKET ITEMS. IF WE EVER MAKE IT TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WE'RE GONNA SEE SOMETHING THAT'S $400,000, WHICH I DON'T SUPPORT US CUTTING, BUT, BUT WE'RE STILL IN ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS EXERCISE.
SO WE WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME.
WE COULD THINK WE SPENDING DEBATING WHAT ORDER WE GO IN THAN ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE AUDIENCE.
SO EVERYBODY HERE WOULD LIKE TO CUT ADVERTISING SERVICES, UH, FOR PUBLIC NOTICES THAT WILL AFFECT A SENIOR POPULATION, UH, THAT GETS NEWSPAPERS.
RALPH, CAN YOU CALL THE, IS THAT THAT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON RIGHT NOW? 'CAUSE I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS, RALPH.
AT THE LAST MEETING YOU EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE NO, THE NOTICES THAT WENT TO THE NEWSPAPER WERE OFTEN A WRONG AND TOOK WEEKS.
I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SAID, IF YOU
[02:25:01]
CAN REPEAT IT QUICKLY, UH, IF THAT APPLIES TO THIS ITEM YES.AND YOU SAY WHAT YOU, SO COUPLE OF ISSUES, UH, IT WE HAVE, IF WE SEND IT TO THE MIAMI HERALD OR TO WHOEVER, WHATEVER NEWSPAPER WE HAVE TO SEND THESE WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
NUMBER TWO, AN ONLINE IS IMMEDIATE.
IT IS CONSTANT MEANING IT'S NOT REMOVED.
THE NEWSPAPER, ONCE YOU GET IT TODAY, YOU THROW AWAY YOUR NEWSPAPER, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT NOTICE.
THESE ARE CONSTANT, WE ARE DELIVERING ALSO TO THE SENIOR CENTERS, THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES, THE SENIOR HOUSING.
SO WE DELIVER THESE PAPER COPIES ALSO.
AND WE'VE ELIMINATED ANY ERRORS BECAUSE WE CAN FIX 'EM IMMEDIATELY.
WELL, WHAT WOULD THE COST BE TO DELIVER TO EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN OVER THE AGE OF 75? THAT'S A POLICY OF THIS.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU ELIMINATE, BEFORE YOU JUST COMPLETELY ELIMINATE AN ENTIRE SECTOR OF THE POPULATION.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE ELIMINATING A SECTOR OF THE POPULATION.
I THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T.
I MEAN, I KNOW MY MOTHER, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO'S 83, SHE GETS THE MIAMI HERALD.
HER NOTICES ARE IN THE MIAMI HERALD.
SO IF, SO THEN THEY DON'T GET THOSE NOTICES AND SHE DOESN'T LIVE IN A SENIOR CENTER.
ANYONE ALSO WHO WISHES TO GET THIS VIA EMAIL, WE WOULD DO THAT VIA MAIL.
THEY DON'T, SHE DOESN'T EMAIL ANYMORE.
SO I, WHAT MY POINT IS, IS THAT I THINK THAT THIS $30,000 IN PUBLIC NOTICE FOR A SECTOR OF THE POPULATION THAT GETS THE NEWSPAPER IS NOT GOING TO MAKE OR BREAK US.
BUT IT DOES SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE'RE AGEIST.
MIND YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY DIRECTED ME TO DO THIS.
THIS IS JUST THE SAVINGS FROM YOUR PRIOR ACTUAL WE WE'RE ACCEPTING OUR SAVINGS.
I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST RESTATING THE FACT THAT I REALLY DISAGREE WITH WITH THIS.
YOU'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY IN A BAD DIRECTION.
SO WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THIS.
I ABSOLUTE SO LOST AT THIS TIME.
SO NUMBER FOUR WAS ACCEPTED? YES.
I THINK WE'RE HEARING A MAJORITY WE'LL SHOW IT ACCEPTED.
UH, REDUCTION IN THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
IT'S A COLLECTION OF VARIOUS EXPENDITURES.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER WAS PRING UP.
ION THE OPERATING EXPENDITURES FOR THE GO BOND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UH, CO COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT NUMBER EIGHT.
UH, THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO SHORT TERM RENTAL INVESTIGATION UNIT? NO, NO, NO.
THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS SPECIFICALLY TO DO CO COMPLIANCE AT THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
JASON, IF YOU COULD SAY THE NUMBERS.
AND THAT WAS NUMBER EIGHT, NUMBER NINE.
I KNOW, BUT WHEN WE DO THE MINUTES, IT HELPS.
UH, ELIMINATE ONE VACANT FULL-TIME COMPLIANCE OFFICER POSITION.
HOW LONG HAS THAT POSITION BEEN VACANT? I THINK IT'S A ROLLING KIND OF CONSIDERATION THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT FROM TIME TO TIME HAS, IT'S ROLLING.
SO THERE'S SOMETIMES IT'LL BE FULL, SOMETIMES IT'LL BE ELIMINATED AT THE TIME, OR AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONE VACANT POSITION CURRENTLY THAT WE AS MANY AS WE CAN AFFORD.
I THINK HEARING THE CONSENSUS, WHICH WE, I THINK WE'RE OKAY WITH CONSENSUS, IS THAT WE WILL SHOW THAT, NOT, NOT, UH, ADDED NUMBER 11.
UH, REDUCE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR ACCELERATOR PROGRAM NUMBER 11.
UH, ELIMINATING THE COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY.
CAN WE JUST DO IT INSTEAD OF EVERY TWO YEARS? CAN WE DO IT EVERY FOUR YEARS AND EFFECTUATE SOME CHANGES THAT WAY? SOME SAVINGS THAT WAY? I DO THINK, OH, WE CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW WE FUNDED IS THAT, THAT IS FUNDED ANNUALLY, BUT DONE EVERY TWO YEARS, IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND TO HAVE BUDGETARY SMOOTHNESS, WE DO 50 50.
IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE IT EVERY FOUR YEARS, WE'D REDUCE IT TO $25,000 ANNUAL, UH, FUNDING.
SO YOU COULD DO A PARTIAL THERE, WHICH REDUCES THE FUNDING TO 25,000 IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE TO AN EVERY FOUR YEAR CYCLE.
HAVING A SORT OF A, IS THAT CORRECT? AN OBJECTIVE TEMPERATURE TAKING.
THEY, THEY USE THIS DATA DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY USE THIS DATA WHEN THEY CREATE THEIR BUDGETS AND POSITIONS.
SO COULD WE AMEND THIS? THE, UH, HALF THIS AND MOVE IT TO EVERY FOUR YEARS, YEARS? LET'S, LET'S SPLIT THE BABY THREE YEARS.
SO WE WILL SHOW THAT AS THAT, UH, THE REDUCTION OF 25,000, THAT WOULD GO TO EVERY FOUR YEARS.
[02:30:01]
13,000.UH, AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE THAT TO EVERY FOUR, UH, THREE YEARS.
'CAUSE NUMBER 12, NUMBER 13, FINANCE.
THESE ARE ALL CITYWIDE GRANTS.
SO I'LL, I'LL MOVE KIND OF QUICKLY ON THESE.
UH, GRANT FUNDING FOR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB? NO.
GRANT FUNDING FOR DOUGLAS GARDENS COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER? NO.
GRANT FUNDING FOR FIU JEWISH MUSEUM? NO.
GRANT FUNDING FOR JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SOUTH FLORIDA? NO.
GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH CHAMBER VISITOR CENTER? NO.
SORRY, I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THE NUMBERS.
UH, GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER.
NUMBER 19 GRAND FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH.
GAY AND LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE? NO.
GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI BEACH WATER SPORTS NUMBER 20.
WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS THAT? SHANE? SHANE? WATER SPORTS? NO, THE SHANE.
SHANE S ARE NOT CUTTING THAT? NO.
NUMBER 21, GRANT FUNDING FOR MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE? NO.
GRANT FUNDING FOR ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE? NO.
WHAT DO WE, WHAT DO, WHAT DO WE GET FOR IT? YEAH, THE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S RELATED TO OUR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS, UH, THE OH, BUT IT'S NEXT YEAR.
YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT EVERY, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S AN ANNUAL, IT'S AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO KEEP THE ORGANIZATION RUNNING.
AND THEN IF THERE'S LIKE A BIG ONE, WE'LL COME BACK, THEY'LL COME BACK WITH A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION.
BUT THIS IS OUR SMALL, VERY SMALL ANNUAL ALLOCATION.
SO THIS BASICALLY KEEPS OUR, OUR, UM, OUR HAT IN THE RING FOR CONSIDERATION TO HOST IT.
BASICALLY THIS HELPS FUND OUR, OUR CONTRIBUTION.
SO IT'S LIKE OUR DUES TO BE CONSIDERED VERY, I THINK YOU GET INVITED TO A CHRISTMAS PARTY SOMEPLACE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE KEEPING THIS FOR.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE KEEPING THIS FOR.
THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE KEEPING IT.
WE'RE KEEPING IT SO THAT WE GET CONSIDER SO THAT WE'RE IN CONSIDERATION FOR, WHAT DID YOU SAY, JASON? THE ORANGE BOWL.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
ERIC IS SO IF WE ELIMINATED THIS COMMITTEE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN CONSIDERATION TO GET THE ORANGE BOWL.
SO IT MEANS THAT WE WOULD, THAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT WOULD BE DOWN THE DRAIN FOR 17,000.
SOMETHING DOESN'T ADD UP HERE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD COMPLETELY ELIMINATE US, BUT IT WOULD ERODE OUR ABILITY FOR THE ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE TO PURSUE THESE EVENTS.
HOW OFTEN DO WE GET THEM? WE HAVE IT, UH, WE HAVE IT THIS YEAR AND THEN I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT AGAIN IN THREE YEARS.
WHO COMPRISES THE ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE? SO IT, IT'S A NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUP THAT, UM, IS, HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY, THEY SERVE AS, AS OUR SPORTS COMMITTEE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
DO WE NEED THIS? THE, HAVE OUR HEAD IN THE RING? YOUR ASSESSMENT? YES.
I, I AM NOT RECOMMENDING CUTTING ANY OF THESE THINGS.
I THINK THEY ALL BRING VALUE, BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, I THINK FOR $17,000, THE KIND OF ECONOMIC VALUE THAT WE BRING TO THE CITY.
WHEN WE BRING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND EVERY OTHER MUNICIPALITY CONTRIBUTES TO THIS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST, OKAY, I'D LIKE TO SEE THING.
UH, NUMBER 23 GRAND FUNDING FOR THE SOUTH FLORIDA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
NO, UH, NUMBER 24 GRANT FUNDING FOR UNIT A MEALS PROGRAM? NO.
UH, NUMBER 25 PRIDE LINES YOUTH SAFE SPACE PROGRAM NUMBER 25.
PRIDE LINES MIAMI BEACH PROJECT SAFE PROGRAM.
CAN YOU TALK THROUGH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO? YES.
THE PRIDE LINES YOUTH IS 25,000.
PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR PROJECT SAFE L-G-B-Q-I-A PLUS YOUTH IN CRISIS, BUT PROVIDING SAFE DROP-IN SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT THAT PROMOTES STABILITY, INDEPENDENCE, ACCESS TO SERVICES.
I BELIEVE THE REAL DIFFERENCE IS THE AGE GROUPS.
I BELIEVE IT'S CHILDREN VERSUS YOUNG ADULTS.
CHIL LIKE THEY, THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT GR TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS.
ONE IS MORE FOCUSED BECAUSE OF THE MIAMI DAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I BELIEVE REMOVED OH.
AND WE STEPPED IN THERE, BUT THERE WAS AN EXISTING PROGRAM, I THINK RELATED TO, TO YOUNG ADULTS.
SO THAT'S, THEY'RE GETTING TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS THERE.
UH, COMMON THREADS NUMBER 27, NO COMMON THREADS IS AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM IN OUR RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT THAT TEACHES CHILDREN HOW TO COOK AND, AND, AND, AND HEALTHY FOODS.
SO I WOULD SAY NO BECAUSE THE IMPACT FOR THE $19,000 IS IT IMPACTS THOUSANDS OF KIDS.
UH, ELIMINATE A, THE EDUCATION MANAGER POSITION.
STEAM PLUS PROGRAM AND PRIVATE CHARTER SCHOOL
[02:35:01]
PROGRAMS. NO, NO, NO.I HAVE NO, UH, A REDUCTION IN JUST WHAT, WHAT'S THE EDUCATION MANAGER POSITION? WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT POSITION? IT WAS A POSITION THAT WAS ADDED LAST YEAR TO WHEN WE, WHEN THE COMMISSION EXPANDED OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF, OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVICES FOR, UH, STEAM PLUS AND ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMS. WE, THERE WAS A POSITION ADDED TO MANAGE THE, I FORGET IT'S LIKE A DOZEN OR TWO DOZEN PRIVATE CHARTER RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS THAT ARE GONNA GET ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S A CHUNK OF MONEY TO RUN THE STEAM PLUS PROGRAM, WHICH WE TOOK BACK FROM THE BASS AS AN EFFICIENCY.
AND, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA RUN ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUTSIDE INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BASICALLY, YOU JUST EXPANDED SO MANY OF THE PROGRAMS AND STAFFING WAS NEEDED TO RUN THESE DOZENS OF PROGRAMS. BUT, SO TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A POSITION THAT'S BEING FUNDED AT $600,000.
NO, IT'S, THIS IS ALL THE EDUCATION INITIATIVES.
IT'S A POSITION PLUS NO, I WANT, PLUS THE STEAM PLUS.
I WANT THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN HERE, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POSITION IS BEING ELIMINATED.
SO IT'S THE POSITION, LET'S LET'S SAY $50,000 OR 45, WHATEVER IT IS.
IT WOULD BE, IT HAS TO BE A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT COMMISSIONER, UH, MAGAZINE, MYSELF AND TAMIKA HAVE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT PROGRAM BUDGETING.
SO THIS IS THIS, BUT THIS IS A, AN EXAMPLE OF WE DON'T EVEN KNOW BECAUSE IF WE'RE SAYING DO WE WANNA CUT $500,000 FOR THIS ENHANCED EDUCATION INITIATIVE? NO.
COULD, WOULD WE PREFER TO BE ABLE TO DISPERSE THOSE FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO THE SCHOOLS WHO WE HAVE VOTED ON TO SUPPORT WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME PERSON? I THINK WE WOULD ALL BE IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PREFERRED WAY TO DO IT.
BUT WE CAN'T MAKE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION BECAUSE IT'S LUMPED IN AS ONE ITEM.
SO HOW CAN WE VOTE ON THIS IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PERCENTAGES OF THE POSITION VERSUS THE, THE DISBURSEMENT OF THE FUNDS.
I THINK WHAT THE REASON IS IT IS TOGETHER IS THAT YOU NEED THAT POSITION TO RUN THESE PROGRAMS. SO IF YOU'RE ELIMINATING THE POSITION, YOU MUST ELIMINATE THE PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHY IT'S PRESENTED IN THIS MATTER.
AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE WORKLOAD FOR THAT PROGRAM WHEN WE BROUGHT IN ALL OF THE PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.
DIDN'T WE DISCUSS THIS AT THE LAST MEETING? THE, ACTUALLY THIS SPECIFIC POSITION THAT PARENTS WERE REACHING OUT TO US CONCERNED THAT THIS POSITION WAS NOT GOING TO BE FUNDED.
AND WE MADE A COMMITMENT AT THIS TABLE TO FUND THIS POSITION BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT IT HAS WITH THE FUNDING.
THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU AND I HAD ON THIS DAYS AT THE LAST MEETING.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S KEEP IT, OKAY.
SO WE'LL SHOW THAT, UH, NUMBER 29 WAS A REDUCTION ON ELIMINATION REDUCTION IN THE PRE-K SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO THE 2024 LEVEL.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, SO FAR WE'VE FOUND $141,500 OF EFFICIENCIES.
NUMBER 30, UH, ELIMINATE OCEAN RESCUE BOAT COVERAGE NUMBER 30.
NUMBER 30 IS ALSO, THE NEXT TWO ARE FIRE DEPARTMENT NUMBER 31 ELIMINATE ONE VACANT FULL-TIME, UH, TRAINING OFFICER.
FIREFIGHTER ONE POSITION NUMBER 31.
WE'VE CUT FROM A VARIETY OF, OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND WITH 100% RESPECT, CHIEF, UH, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR FIRE.
AND WE, WE, WE NEED TO, BECAUSE POLICE AND FIRE ARE PART 62% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET, WE'VE REIGNED IN I THINK A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF POLICE.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS WE CUT, UM, 600, $600,000.
AND IF I MAY, AT THE VERY, I THINK THE VERY, VERY LAST ITEM, WHICH IS UNDER RESORT TAX, 'CAUSE THEY'RE JOINED, THERE IS A FIRE ITEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CHIEF IF THIS IS THE ONE THAT FIRE CAN OFFER UP, THAT'S THE ONE FIRE CAN OFFER UP, RIGHT? I, I DON'T KNOW THE TITLE, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER.
BUT I'M HARD PRESSED TO THINK THAT WE CAN'T FIND, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY GIVING THE CONFIDENCE THAT I KNOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE THIS FINE DEPARTMENT WITH MEN AND WOMEN TO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE WITH A SIMPLE $200,000 COST SAVINGS, WHICH TURNS INTO $331,000.
NOW, IF IT'S THIS POSITION OR ANY OTHER THAT THE CHIEF, YOU KNOW, DEEMS IS THE BEST OFFER UP, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M VOTING FOR.
I'LL PUT MY CONFIDENCE IN HER SAYING WHATEVER THE POSITION IS TO ACHIEVE THIS COST SAVINGS.
IT'S NOT REALLY BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC POSITION.
WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO ALL SHARE IN SOME OF THIS REDUCTION AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CHIEF'S BEST JUDGMENT THAT THAT'S WHAT FIRE IS ABLE TO KIND OF PRO OFFER MR. CHAIR.
I SEE WE HAVE TWO POSITIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ONE IS FIRE TRAINING PROGRAM AND THE OTHER ONE IS IN THE FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM.
I KNOW THAT OUR ADMINISTRATION IS
[02:40:01]
NOT RECOMMENDING TOUCHING EITHER OF THESE PROGRAMS, BUT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, UH, CHIEF, IF, IF WE HAD TO CUT IN ONE OF THESE TWO, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BELIEVE IS, UM, TO ME, I WOULDN'T WANT TO TOUCH ANYTHING THAT'S PREVENTION.UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN YOU DEAL WITHOUT THIS POSITION? I NEED FEEDBACK, GUIDANCE FROM YOU.
SO, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHIEF ABELLO, FIRE CHIEF NIGHT NIGHT.
SO IN THE, IN THE, IN THE ONE POSITION THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING, THAT IS A POSITION THAT I WAS AWARDED LAST YEAR WHEN I CAME BEFORE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, SEE ALL THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING THAT WE'VE ASSUMED IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
FEMA GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN IMPOSING A LOT OF TRAINING FOR THE HAZARDOUS ASPECT OF IT.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE PLANNING, UH, POSITION, THAT WAS A POSITION THAT WE WILL BE RESUMING, UM, WITH THE SAVINGS AND REVENUE THAT WE'LL BE COLLECTING FROM OUR PRE-FIRE PLANNING INSPECTIONS.
SO TO THAT POINT, WE HAVE GENERATED, UH, $5.1 MILLION IN THE LAST YEAR ABOVE OF WHAT WE WERE GENERATING LAST YEAR WITH THESE EXTRA POSITIONS.
THIS POSITION WAS BECAUSE THE STATE STATUTE REDUCED OUR TURNAROUND FOR PERMITS FROM 30 TO 15 DAYS.
AND THE GENTLEMAN HAD JUST, UH, VACATED THE POSITION, UH, APPROXIMATELY 60 DAYS WHEN YOU CAME AND ASKED ME.
AND THEN YESTERDAY WE ALSO SAVED $8,000.
'CAUSE YOU HAD SAID ANYTHING IS, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, $8,000 IN A CONEX TRAILER THAT WE WERE USING TO STORE EXTRA EQUIPMENT.
SO YESTERDAY THEY PICKED IT UP.
SO THAT WAS AN EXTRA SAVINGS AS WELL.
SO IF I HAD TO PICK ONE, I WOULD SAY THAT WE EITHER, UM, REDUCED THE PRE-FIRE PLANNING ONE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO GENERATE THE REVENUE OR, UM, THE REDUCTION OF THE HIGH IMPACT FUNDING FROM THE RESORT TAX WILL BE ABLE TO SAVE ANOTHER $75,000.
SO IF I CAN'T HELP TO FACILITATE, IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN HAVING A REDUCTION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE CHIEF, THE ONE THAT IF, IF WE WERE ASKED TO, TO HAVE SOMETHING IN THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY ITEM 66, UM, WHICH, UM, WE'RE AT, WE WOULD BE OKAY WITH A $75,000 REDUCTION NOT TOUCHING, UH, FUNDING FOR SPRING BREAK SERVICES AT THIS TIME.
SO JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE POLICE AT RECIPROCITY BETWEEN THE TWO PUBLIC SAFETY DEPART, MAIN PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UH, WE COULD DO, WE COULD DO THAT.
SO THAT WOULD BE A PREFERENCE IF WE WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE A CUT OFF.
I APPRECIATE YOU OFFERING BEING FRANK ABOUT THAT.
IT'S, IT'S A SHARED SACRIFICE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT THAT'S HOW WE GET TO A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
THERE'S, WE COULD SAY POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT EACH OF THESE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING AT ONE POINT HAD MERIT.
IT'S JUST YOU, YOU'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR WHERE THE CONVERSATION GOES.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU'VE GIVEN YOUR INPUT.
UM, AND I'LL FOLLOW THE LEAD ON THAT OF, UH, WE'RE GONNA CHOOSE ONE USING 66.
SO IF I, IF I CAN, SO, SO WHICH LINE ITEM ARE WE? SO 30, 31, 32, I, I'LL PROPOSE THE KEEP AND THEN WITH THE CHIEF'S DIRECTION, UH, 66.
BUT TO CLARIFY, IN, IN THE PACKET 66 SAYS $150,000, THAT'S NOT ALL COMING FROM FIRE? NO, THE, THE, THE A HUNDRED, THE NUMBER 66 IS, IS FIRE.
BUT WHAT IT IS, IT'S, IT'S ACROSS MULTIPLE PROGRAMS. AS YOU SEE LISTED OUT HALLOWEEN, NEW YEAR'S MEMORIAL AND SPRING BREAK, I THINK WE WOULD BE OKAY BEING RE BEING, UH, RECIPROCAL WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE MADE SOME REDUCTIONS IN OVERTIME.
SO WE, I THINK WE ARE, WE'D BE OKAY WITH A $75,000 REDUCTION ON ITEM 66 A MEMORIAL, WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE, SOME OF THE OVERTIME SPECIFIC FOR MEMORIAL DAY ONLY.
YEAH, SO WE'RE SEEING THAT 70 5K FROM FROM 66.
UH, HOUSING COMMUNITY SERVICES ITEM 33.
MOBILE FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM NUMBER 33.
RECLASSIFY EXISTING CD BG PROGRAM PROJECTS COORDINATOR TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER POSITION AND REALLOCATING.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER.
HOW LONG HAS THIS POSITION BEEN VACANT FOR? I WOULD ASK ALBA'S GONNA COME UP AND SEE IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT ONE.
AND REALLY WE'RE JUST KIND OF RECLASSIFYING TO A LOW, LOWER SALARY LEVEL, CORRECT? I THINK IT'S MOVING IT TO A GRANT FUNDED POSITION.
RE, OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES.
IT IS CURRENTLY NOT VACANT, BUT THE UM, PERSON WHO IS HOLDING THE POSITION NOW HAS RESIGNED AND SO WE WILL BE RECLASSIFYING.
SO IF WE, IF WE'VE REMOVED THIS HERE, WHAT HAPPENS? WE WOULD, UM, RECLASSIFY IT TO A SUPPORTS MANAGER AND WE WOULD FUND IT THROUGH, UM, A FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS.
SO WE STILL ACHIEVE THE OUTCOME OF THE POSITION.
[02:45:01]
THERE'S NO IMPACT ON THE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC? NO.CAN I JUST OKAY, THEN I'M FINE WITH IT.
THIS, BUT BY RECLASSIFYING WITH FEDERAL SETTLERS, IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT ANY OF OUR RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OR ANY OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS. NOT AT ALL.
THAT'S 2 78, 500, UH, NUMBER 35 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS.
I, I THINK THIS ONE WAS DISCUSSED LAST TIME.
UM, THE, THE DAILY MEDIA CLIPS, I THINK THERE WAS INTEREST IN KEEPING THAT.
UM, SO I'LL GO WITH THE YES, BUT I COULD PUT ME ON AN ISLAND AND I KNOW I'M THROWING LISTS UNDER THE BUS AFTER SHE HELPED ME.
I DO READ THEM, BUT I THAT'S INTERNAL TO US.
CORRECT? I I WOULD SUPPORT CUTTING.
IT, IT IS, IT DOESN'T BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS AT ALL.
BUT IT, IT, IT'S USEFUL BECAUSE WE THEN CAN USE THAT INFORMATION TO GENERATE BENEFITS FOR THE CITY AND THEREFORE THE RESIDENTS, LIKE YOU CAN USE, HEY, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, I'M, I'M WORKING TO FIND SPONSORS FOR THE BLUE ZONES AND SO WHEN I FIND SOMETHING IN THOSE CLIPS, I SEND, BY THE WAY, WAY WE JUST GOT MENTIONED ABOUT THIS THING AND THEN THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE'RE SUPER INTERESTED, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO NOT CUT IT.
I DON'T HAVE CONSENSUS HERE, SO LEMME JUST REMARK IT.
I, I DO READ THEM AND SOMETIMES THEY ARE VALUABLE, BUT I ALSO DO, I JUST DO SEARCHES ON THINGS THAT I'M INTERESTED AND I FIND THE SAME ARTICLES.
DON'T YOU WANNA SEE WHAT THE TRENDS ARE FOR MY NEW I DO AND I DO MY SEARCHES.
SO THIS IS ON NUMBER 35 TO ELIMINATE THE QUESTION'S GONNA BE TO KEEP, TO KEEP KEEPING IT.
WHERE KEEPING NO, LET'S BE CONSISTENT.
VOTE IS TO ELIMINATE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO ELIMINATE COMMISSIONER BOT.
TO ELIMINATE COMMISSIONER DOMINGUEZ.
THIS IS TO, UH, DAILY MEDIA CLIPS TO ELIMINATE THE ME THE DAILY MEDIA CLIPS SUBSCRIPTION.
IS TO REMOVE IT TO A VOTE OF NO IS TO KEEP IT.
SO WE'RE NOW IN COMMISSIONER MAGAZINE.
A VOTE OF NO IS TO KEEP IT A VOTE OF NO IS TO KEEP IT.
REDUCE THE MIAMI BEACH MAGAZINE.
PRINTING AND MAILING FOR, UH, THIS WOULD REDUCE IT FROM FOUR TO TWO TIMES A YEAR OF THE MAGAZINE.
I BELIEVE THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE.
UH, IT'S RATED AS OUR NUMBER ONE GUIDE THAT OUR RESIDENTS USED.
THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY, I THINK MAY BRING THAT DATA.
AND IT'S NOT, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE
WELL, WE CAN'T VALIDATE THAT WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THIS IS
UM, SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT KEEPING IT.
I I THINK OUR, OUR RESIDENTS OR SENIOR RESIDENTS, PEOPLE DO READ IT.
SO IN CONSENSUS THERE, WE'LL MOVE ON.
UH, NUMBER 37, ELIMINATE PRINTING OF THE ANNUAL PROPOSED AND ADOPTED BUDGET BOOKS.
NUMBER 37, YOU MEAN THIS BOOK
THAT MEANS WE WOULD NO LONGER PRINT THE HARD COPIES.
IF I WANT IT PRINTED, YOU GUYS CAN PRINT IT.
WAIT, SO IS IT THE THREE BOOKS IN COLOR? YEAH.
OR IS IT THE, THE ONE BOOK? IT'S ALL THREE.
THE PROPOSED ONE YOU GET AT THE END OF AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN THE PRIMARY ONE YOU'LL GET IN NOVEMBER-ISH.
HOW ABOUT THE FI? CAN WE JUST GET RID OF THE PROPOSED? BECAUSE THE PROPOSED IS A VERY TEMPORARY DOCUMENT, YET WE GET THE FULL BIBLE.
UH, AND LET'S JUST DO THE FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET IS THAT, IS OUR CONTRACT WITH THE PUBLIC OF HOW WE'RE GONNA USE THEIR DOLLARS.
SO LET'S PRINT A COPY OF THE FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET BECAUSE ONCE WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, THE PROPOSED ONE, THIS IS WASTED PAPER.
SO LET'S NOT PRINT THE PROPOSED ONE ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S A, THAT WOULD SLASH IT IN HALF.
IF THERE'S A CONSENSUS, WE COULD REMOVE THE FUNDING FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET BOOK.
BUT WE STILL WOULD PRINT THE ADOPTED BUDGET BOOK THAT ABOUT $6,000.
BUT THAT 6,000 WOULD BE IN THE 27 BUDGET.
JUST HOW THE TIMING OF THE FUNDING AND EVERYTHING.
BUT IF WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S FINE.
WE'LL REMOVE THE, UH, FUNDING FOR THE PROPOSED AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRINT THE ADOPTED.
SO THAT WE'LL CALL THAT LIKE A PARTIAL ACCEPTANCE.
UH, WE HAVE NUMBER OF PARKS AND RECS PROGRAMS. NUMBER 38.
UH, SENIOR PROGRAMMING NUMBER 38.
WE DISCUSSED THIS A BIT LAST TIME.
UH, REDUCING DOWN THE NUMBER ONE HEARING.
UH, INTERESTED IN ELIMINATING, WE WILL SHOW IT KEPT.
THIS IS AT THE FOUR PER YEAR OR THREE PER YEAR.
87 I THINK IS FOR ALL OF THEM.
BUT THERE WAS DISCUSSION A ABOUT $18,000 ONE TIME.
[02:50:01]
YOU, I THINK ALL HAD THAT DISCUSSION AT THE LAST MEETING AND DECIDED TO NOT DO THAT AND KEPT ALL OF THE, THE SENIOR PROGRAMS. OH, SO WE, IT WASN'T TO GO DOWN TO THREE, IT WAS TO GO TO CORRECT.THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE.
AND I THINK YOU LANDED AT NOT MOVING THE, REMOVING ANY FUNDING AT ALL AND KEEPING THE EXISTING PROGRAM.
SENIOR ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
KEEP, WE'RE GOOD ON KEEPING IT.
UH, FOR SENIOR SCENES PROGRAM NUMBER 40, NOTHING.
UH, 41 SCALE SMALL SCALE EVENTS.
NO, WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THAT.
WE WILL ON YOU EAT GEESE OR BUNNY.
WHO, WHO WOULD SAY THAT? OH, MY
UH, LISTEN, I'M BIASED 'CAUSE I ATTENDED IT.
THAT'S THE FILLMORE, RIGHT? YEAH, AT THE FILLMORE.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA SHOW KEEP, UH, NOT ACCEPTING THE REC, NOT, THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION.
VETERANS DAY PARADE AND EVENT.
THAT'S FOR THE MORALE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO DEDICATE A LOT.
UH, NUMBER 46 PLAYTIME PROGRAM.
WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT? SUCH PRESCHOOL.
SO CAN WE, JOHN, CAN I ASK YOU? I DON'T MEAN TO NO.
CAN WE JUST, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S, IT'S BEEN REALLY POPULAR AND GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR AND IT'S A THING.
I MEAN, WE, THERE, THERE AREN'T THAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE GIVE THAT MUCH MONEY TO SPONSOR.
SO CAN WE REDUCE THE FUNDING AND HAVE THEM FIGURE OUT HOW TO COME BACK TO US? ABSO ABSOLUTELY.
IF THAT'S WHAT WE END UP WITH, I'LL, I'LL GO TO, UM, THE, THE PROMOTER.
AND I'LL WORK WITH HIM AND HIS GROUP ON WHAT CAN WE DO FOR WHATEVER YOU BUDGET.
BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT IS, UM, BROADEN, BROADENED ITS APPEAL AND IT'S, IT'S GAINING TRACTION.
SO LET'S, LET'S, HOW ABOUT FOR THIS YEAR? TRY 15 AND THEN SEE WHAT HAPPENS AS, AS IT GROWS.
LIKE THE GOAL, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF OUR PROGRAMMING THAT WE DO, UM, AS PART OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
AND THIS IS PART OF OUR DIVERSITY IN S'S NO, THAT'S WHY WANNA KEEP IT.
AND, BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT LOWERING THE FUNDING OF THIS, OF THIS EVENT.
AND, AND THEY CAN'T DO THE, THE EVENT, THE $15,000.
OKAY, SO LET'S DO IT TO 30,000.
CAN THEY DO, CAN YOU DO THE EVENT? I I DON'T SUPPORT CUTTING THIS SIDE THERE.
LOOK, I DON'T WANNA LOSE THIS EVENT.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW WOULD IT GET TO FOUR? WELL, WE JUST, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS TO HIGHLIGHT.
AND THIS IS WHAT THIS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS.
SO HOW DO WE I AM NOT GONNA SUPPORT TOUCHING ANY FUNDING THAT'S REMOVING.
SO HOW DO WE GET TO FOUR? WHAT DO YOU MEAN FOUR? FOUR VOTES TO KEEP IT.
TO KEEP IT WELL, THE FOUR OF US.
SO WE ARE KEEPING, WE'RE WE'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ACCEPTING.
WE'RE KEEPING, WE'RE KEEPING NUMBER 49.
UH, UH, 49 HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT SCOTT RACKL.
NOT ACCEPT NOT DOING THAT ONE.
NUMBER 50, CITYWIDE HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVES.
THIS IS RESIDENT PROGRAMS. OH, KEEP, OKAY.
BUT WHAT DOES THIS DO? BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE EVENT, WE HAVE, UH, HEALTH AND WELLNESS RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE PARKS.
SO I NEED TO KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND DIFFERENT LINES OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS EVENTS WITH THE PARKS.
SO I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
THESE ARE THE EVENTS THAT WE HOLD THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
LIKE THE CHRIS, THE PULL UP JAM THAT'S COMING UP IN OCTOBER, WHERE CHRIS HERRERA THAT A LOT OF YOU HAVE ATTENDED.
WE DID A, AN OFFSHOOT COMMUNITY BASED WHEN WATER PALOOZA WAS HAPPENING, WE WORKED WITH THEM TO DO SOMETHING, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC.
WHERE, WHERE'S THE MONEY SPENT, JOHN? BECAUSE THOSE THINGS SEEM PRETTY JUST ORGANIC TO ME.
YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN AT THEM, THEY'RE FUN.
BUT WHERE DOES THAT 50 GRAND GO? OH, I BRING THE BREAKDOWN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, STAFFING, IT'S LIKE A DOLLAR FOR EVERY PULL UP.
LOOK, GIRLS VOLLEYBALL, TEAM BASKETBALL, I DON'T WANNA ELIMINATE THAT.
EITHER WIDE, BUT, AND LIKE ANY IDEA WHERE IT'S SPENT.
[02:55:01]
ALL JUST SEEM ORGANIC, RIGHT? IT'S RIGHT.THERE'S QUITE A FEW IN THIS LIST.
SO IF YOU HAVE DIVIDE 50 BY SEVEN, IT'S, IT'S THAT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
CINDY, DO YOU HAVE LINE ITEMS? CINDY? OF COURSE I WANNA KEEP THESE QUIZ.
I'M NOT GONNA VOTE TO ELIMINATE THEM.
THE ONES I'VE, THESE ARE EASY POP QUIZZES.
THEY GO TOWARD OPERATING EXPENSES LIKE AWARDS, TROPHY SUPPLIES, UM, WATER, UM, SNACKS, FRUITS THAT WE GIVE OUT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
CAN WE FIND SPONSORSHIP FOR THAT? LIKE PEPSI, LIKE WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH PEPSICO.
CAN'T PEPSICO PROVIDE THE WATER FOR THAT? CAN WE FIND A SPONSOR TO DO THE AWARD? YOU KNOW, THE EQUINOX PULL UP JAM? YEAH.
THE EQUINOX PULL UP JAM AWARD.
IF I MAY, WHAT MAYBE COULD HAPPEN DIRECTION WISE IS I THINK THE BUDGET WOULD HAVE TO REMAIN, BUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT COULD BE DIRECTED TO EXPLORE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
I'D LIKE TO WORK EXPLORE AS IF THEY DON'T COME.
SO THERE MAY BE SOME SAVINGS IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WHERE THEY COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, BY THE WAY, THIS WAS, UM, WE DO PROGRAM BUDGETING.
UH, THEY HAVE THIS 1150, 50,000 MAYBE NEXT YEAR.
IT SAYS $42,000 AGO, REDUCED BY 8,000.
THEY FOUND SPONSORS FOR $8,000 FOR THE PROGRAMS. JOHN, ARE THESE EVENTS WELL ATTENDED? Y YES, BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY BASE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR 10,000 PEOPLE.
OUR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT TEAM, BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, COME ON.
ARE, YEAH, WE DO A PROGRAM PROPOSAL AND CLOSE OUT.
WE DON'T CONTINUE FAILING PROGRAMS. SO ANYTHING WE CONTINUE TO DO DID WELL THE YEAR BEFORE.