Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava made a $2.5 billion bond measure to address affordable housing, resiliency projects and other needs the central tenet of her state of the county address in January.
Now she is punting until next year and retooling the priorities towards transit needs.
Levine Cava, in a statement posted to social media, said the change of heart occurred after her team spoke with county commissioners, business leaders, city mayors and commissioners and residents.
“The need to put forward a transit plan was clear,” she said.
Our bold, accountable #FutureReady305 bond initiative will shape our County for years to come. We've listened closely to your feedback, and are working to develop an even stronger, more comprehensive proposal to tackle our biggest challenges and transform our future. pic.twitter.com/P8TXQLweMi
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) April 3, 2024
She said she plans a more transit-focused bond measure on the ballot for voters in November 2026. Levine Cava, a Democrat, is up for reelection in August. If no candidate wins an outright majority, there will be a run-off in November this
Expanding Metrorail into Miami Gardens and Metromover into South Beach is estimated to cost $3 billion, according to the Miami Herald. There are also plans to extend Metromover west to Florida International University.
Voters passed a half-percent sales take in 2002 for transportation issues but a transit bond would give Miami-Dade a new monetary source for transit construction. A bond more focused on transit could conceivably add funds for improvements to the Rickenbacker Causeway – an item absent in Levine Cava’s speech in January.
A message left for Commissioner Raquel Regalado, whose district includes Key Biscayne, for comment on Levine Cava’s pivot on the bond issue was not immediately returned.
In her state of the county address, Levine Cava said the bond measure was needed to address the lack of affordable housing, flooding, as well phasing out septic sewer systems that pollute Biscayne Bay.
A Republican pollster working with Levine Cava’s opponent, Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, last month found that 79% of respondents disapproved of Levine Cava’s bond issue when told it would affect property taxes.
Levine Cava, in her statement, acknowledged there is work to be done to get the public support behind a bond measure.
“This will require building greater public commitment to ensure our residents trust the process and the plan,” Levine Cava said.
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JOHN PACENTI is the executive editor of the Key Biscayne Independent. John has worked for The Associated Press, the Palm Beach Post, Daily Business Review, and WPTV-TV.