These Black Miami neighborhoods may become a city. How does that work?
Residents in unincorporated Miami-Dade County can be divided on whether their communities should become a city. While some worry about increased taxes, those in favor of incorporation often express concern about the threat of annexation from other cities and say that they would like to have a voice in what development comes to their area.
After part of the Brownsville area faced annexation from Hialeah, many people in the community — a predominantly Black area north of Allapattah with about 16,000 residents — are increasing efforts to become a city, which would include the Gladeview, Gratigny, North Shore, Little River Farms and Twin Lakes/North Shore Gardens neighborhoods.
The area looking to incorporate is shaded in green in the map below:
READ MORE: Will becoming a city help Brownsville and its neighbors thrive? Residents are split
Here is an explainer about the cityhood efforts and the general process to becoming a city.
Why do residents want to incorporate?
Residents in favor of incorporation want their tax dollars to go toward infrastructure such as road maintenance and street lights and toward supporting development that is needed in the community, such as grocery stores, entertainment venues and restaurants.
Some residents have also noted that they could control zoning to have more input about high-rises and rentals being built in their neighborhoods.
What is the opposing view?
Many of those in opposition have said that becoming a city would likely increase taxes, something that could also push out older residents.
Others, including in the community of Little River Farms, believe they don’t have the taxbase, saying the lack of big-box retailers and the types of businesses in the area won’t be enough to help sustain a potential city.
What is the North Central Dade Municipal Advisory Committee?
The North Central Dade Municipal Advisory Committee was first established in 2001. At that time, a few areas in Miami-Dade County were seeking to become cities, including Doral and Miami Gardens, both of which were established in 2003.
The committee’s primary purpose is to determine if unincorporated areas are capable of becoming a city. The life of the committee has been extended several times, most recently in January.
Any efforts to incorporate the Brownsville area will need to go through the committee. But county commissioners voted in February to put a moratorium on annexations and incorporations for at least five years to give the county time to assess the fiscal impact of future annexation and incorporations.
What could the new city boundaries look like?
The Municipal Advisory Committee updated the proposed boundaries at its July 29 meeting, sketching out what the city limits would look like for an incorporated Brownsville.
The boundary stretches to the city of Hialeah on the west; the city of Miami and the unincorporated neighborhood of Allapattah on the south; the city of Opa-locka on the north; and the city of North Miami, the village of Miami Shores and the village of El Portal on the east.
What is the process for these neighborhoods to become a city?
There are three phases for the Municipal Advisory Committee to participate in: the educational phase, the negotiation phase and the approval phase.
The educational phase consists of learning from the county about what services are provided to the area, such as police, fire, zoning and waste management.
This phase also includes an analysis of the estimated revenues and expenditures for the area. During the educational phase, a projected budget based on the revenues and expenditures for the proposed city is created and presented to the community. An analysis of that budget, called a pro forma budget, will be conducted by a county vendor.
Public hearings will also be held to seek input on incorporation, and during the educational phase, the boundary could be revised again. If it is, a new analysis of the revenue and expenditures must be completed.
The negotiation phase involves creating and adopting a conceptual agreement, a foundational document outlining the framework for becoming a city. The committee must also conduct two more public hearings and adopt a feasibility study report that will be sent to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.
The approval phase is the final phase, and it involves the Board of County Commissioners accepting the feasibility study report and sending it to the planning advisory board for consideration. The planning advisory board will conduct public hearings to hear from residents from the unincorporated communities. The board then sends the report back to the Board of County Commissioners with either a favorable or unfavorable recommendation.
The Board of County Commissioners then conducts a public hearing to consider the feasibility report and solicit feedback from residents.
Who will decide if the communities become a city?
The Board of County Commissioners may call for an election for residents in the community to decide if they want to incorporate.
If the majority of voters want to incorporate, commissioners will establish a charter commission to create a city charter.
Once the Board of County Commissioners approves the proposed charter, an election will be set for area residents to vote on the charter. The city is created if the charter is adopted.
What happens if the neighborhoods don’t become a city?
While no one can say for sure what will happen to the neighborhoods if they don’t incorporate, some have surmised that they will likely be under the threat of annexation by other cities.
Joyce Brown, president of the Gratigny Community Association, said the neighborhoods will likely fight and delay annexation as much as possible. “But I think eventually it will happen,” she said.
When and where does the committee meet?
Meetings for the Municipal Advisory Committee will be held monthly throughout the year. A full schedule can be found on the county’s calendar. The next scheduled meeting is Monday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. at the Arcola Lakes Senior Center at 8401 NW 14th Ave.
Meeting dates, times and locations are subject to change. Details on the agenda can be found at the North Central Municipal Advisory Committee page.
