Miami’s $1.5 billion spending plan passes first vote with $296,000 boost for Liberty City
A longstanding Liberty City community group stands to get about $300,000 in new funding after Miami commissioners gave initial approval to a $1.5 billion spending plan on Saturday.
The bump, along with increased spending on the police and fire departments, marked a budget proposal fueled by growth in property tax revenues. Commissioners spent little time debating spending priorities Saturday — the first time in recent memory the city held a budget hearing on a weekend. Officials said they wanted to give the public a better chance to speak on the budget.
A few dozen people showed, which is more than a typical budget hearing.
Several speakers advocated for the the Liberty City Trust. Others told commissioners they thought the city should give more money to the annual Gay8 Festival in Little Havana, an issue commissioners said should be addressed before the next budget vote on Sept. 22.
Commissioners agreed to boost the budget for the Liberty City Community Revitalization Trust by $296,000, bumping the organization’s budget to $495,000 to expand youth jobs and empowerment programs. The Trust helps people rehabilitate their homes and promotes business growth, among other community programs.
T. L. Coverson, chairman of the Trust’s board, told the Miami Herald the organization can now hire more staff to focus on youth programs, including summer jobs and mentorship programs, which were priorities for Liberty City residents who spoke during Saturday’s budget hearing at City Hall.
“It will allow us to mobilize our youth in the community,” Coverson said. “We can give them guidance.”
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The budget also featured a reorganization of the city’s staff tasked with preparing for the impacts of climate change. In a reversal of a controversial move from 2020, City Manager Art Noriega’s administration plans to separate the department of resilience and sustainability from the public works department.
Six city workers will move out from under the the public works department and function as a standalone team, an adjustment lauded by climate activists who say it sends a clearer signal that Miami’s government wants to take climate change more seriously.
On Saturday, advocates asked commissioners to steer about $150,000 to the reestablished department for two more positions. Commissioners said they will consider making changes before the second vote.
The spending plan includes a $33.6 million increase to the pension programs for police and firefighters, the bulk of which is tied to a 2018 legal settlement with labor unions.
