State of the City address
• What: Mayor Shirley Gibson's fifth annual State of the City address• When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; reception, 7:30-8:30 p.m.• Where: Lou Rawls Center for the Performing Arts, Florida Memorial University, 15800 NW 42nd Ave., Miami Gardens• Admission: Free and open to the public. Limited-edition commemorative watches costing $100 each and license plates costing $5 each available for purchase.• For more information: To RSVP or for more information, call 305-622-8000 ext. 2314 or e-mail hmarshall@miamigardens-fl.gov.On a cool moonlit summer evening, a group of mostly black young professionals gathered for a dinner party in the backyard of a modest peach with brown trim home at the corner of Northwest 22nd Avenue and 193rd Street.
Joe and Gina Charles meandered through the intimate crowd of about 15, serving cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Since purchasing the three-bedroom home last June, the couple often hosts such mixers as a weekend pastime.
''We wanted to raise a family around like-minded people who share our culture and ideals,'' says Joe, 36, owner of Taxwrite LLC, a boutique tax service agency. ``We couldn't find anywhere else in Miami-Dade where upwardly mobile blacks can enjoy a sense of community.''
Back in 2003, a coalition of activists used that argument to convince a majority of doubtful county leaders in their second campaign to incorporate a city in North Miami-Dade despite where they pointed to a proven tax base that could sustain a viable municipality.
''The community felt neglected by the county and wanted a place to call theirs,'' said Betty Ferguson, the former county commissioner who was among leaders of the campaign to incorporate. ``There was a belief that we couldn't take care of ourselves.''
Five years later, just days before the city's fifth anniversary, the leaders say the community is doing just that.
New shopping plazas, swanky restaurants and sprawling mansions are sprouting within the city like the clusters of pink, red and yellow flowers lining Northwest 27th Avenue. Construction has begun on a $25 million community center with plans for a spa, auditorium and fitness center. A team of architects hopes to bring Miami Modern style architecture to the city.
''I have to admit that it was a good decision to incorporate,'' said County Commissioner Barbara Jordan, who succeeded Ferguson and was initially opposed to incorporation. ``Seeing the city's growth and pride changed my mind.''
Jordan and others were skeptical that the community could generate the tax revenue to support a city. During the incorporation process, officials discovered the city had incurred a debt of $11.3 million to the county. That debt has since been partially paid off and the city currently has $10 million in reserves, City Manager Danny Crew said.
Shirley Gibson, a mayor whose diminutive frame conceals a giant will, pulls no punches in discussing the push for ``self-governance.''
''Our city has for quite some time had the largest concentration of black homeowners in the county, so it was only natural for us to take control of where we live,'' Gibson said.
``The doubts over having a tax base have proven to be a nonissue. We're very proud of what we've accomplished so far.''
About 71 percent of residents are homeowners, compared to 54 percent for the rest of Miami-Dade, Crew said.
''The decision to become a city has made officials more accessible to the residents,'' Crew said.
Most recently, in arguably its most audacious decision since incorporation, officials approved the creation of the city's own police force in a bid to curb a high crime rate.
In 2007, violent crimes were up 22 percent, compared to 2006.
But that rate has decreased by 11 percent since December when the force began patrolling, said Chief Matthew Boyd.
''We've implemented a philosophy of community policing by partnering with residents and the clergy,'' Boyd said.
But the added security is costly.
Taxes were raised by $1.20 for every $1,000 of a property's taxable value.
About $33 million has been budgeted for the department in an operating budget of $59 million. Officers' benefits incentive package included a $12,000 signing bonus and a $7,000 moving allowance.
The decision to replace the county police department with a city force reignited criticism from longtime opponents who argue the city was created on ``false pride.''
''No one can justify Miami Gardens on pure dollars and pure functionality,'' community activist Wilbur Coleman said. ``If they keep the police department, the city will never be able to sustain itself.''
Even Ferguson, a leading architect of incorporation, is worried that the ``immediate benefits have not trickled down to the community.''
''We're not there yet,'' she said.
Ferguson cites the North Dade Federal Credit Union as the local economic engine city officials have neglected.
But so far, the Charleses said, they've acquired their slice of the American Dream.
''Sometimes we keep the door unlocked. I feel extremely safe,'' said Gina Charles, 28, a hotel office manager.
She also likes that Crestview Elementary -- an A school -- is located just several blocks away.
''Right now, we have everything we were looking for in a neighborhood,'' said her husband, Joe Charles.
