Revenue windfall lets Miami restore some services, confirm no police layoffs
Miami’s mini-dump will reopen Feb. 8 after commissioners rolled back budget cuts that became unnecessary after city revenues blew past conservative projections by about $28 million.
On Thursday, commissioners unanimously voted to restore jobs and services with an amendment to the city’s $1 billion operating budget.
The bulky waste facility at 1290 NW 20th St., available to residents within city limits who wanted to discard large items, closed Oct. 16 after commissioners cut its budget as the city predicted a $30 million budget hole. The gap closed significantly in November after City Manager Art Noriega’s administration reported higher-than-expected tax income. On Thursday, the commission restored funding for the mini-dump and 80 public safety jobs.
The mini-dump will open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on holidays from 8 a.m. to noon, except for Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
The city will also reverse the planned partial closure of the water park at Grapeland Heights Park, a popular facility with a wading pool, lazy river and slides. Under the previous cuts, the water park was only going to open for weekends during summer 2021. The opening date for the water park was not immediately available Thursday afternoon.
The economic impact of widespread commercial closures in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic led some local government budget offices to brace for a major dip in revenue. From Tallahassee to Miami-Dade County, tax revenue fared better than expected.
Budget analysts are still concerned about future projections due to uncertainty over the long-term impact to property taxes and the future of federal relief efforts. Miami-Dade County’s government is counting on a major rebound in consumer spending and tourism to help stave off the need for cutting costs or raising taxes.
The improved financial picture, which Miami Mayor Francis Suarez had previewed at the end of November, helped smooth over a budget squeeze that would have seen layoffs of 63 police officers and the loss of 17 open fire-rescue positions. Raises in multiple employee unions and for non-union municipal employees were restored with Thursday’s vote.
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 4:04 PM.
