Budget season is right around the corner, and this year, we started engaging our residents earlier than ever. The upcoming budget process is shaping up to be especially challenging, with several headwinds creating a perfect storm of pressure on our County’s finances. That’s why we held three budget town hall meetings in May, in north, south, and central Miami-Dade, to speak honestly about the challenges ahead and how we’ll get through them together.
We are also working extremely hard to find savings and efficiency across County government, to make sure we are spending every taxpayer dollar to maximum impact, through my WISE305 initiative.
Learn more at miamidade.gov/budget and stay tuned for upcoming town halls in August and budget hearings in September.
Stay Weather Ready this Summer
We’re now officially in June, and that means hurricane season is here – along with extreme heat season, rainy season, and mosquito season! Extreme weather takes many forms, and we want you to be WEATHER READY for all of them. We hosted our annual Weather Ready Press Conference, sharing essential tips and resources to help you stay safe no matter what comes our way. Here’s how you can stay ready for whatever weather the summer brings:
Extreme Heat: Stay cool and safe by drinking water, finding shade, resting when overheated, and using County cooling sites, including for your pets.
In May, we continued what is becoming a proud tradition: our second annual Haitian Community Town Hall with Island TV in celebration of Haitian Heritage Month. At beautiful Barry University, we talked about how Miami-Dade is working hand-in-hand with our Haitian community, from supporting small business and creating more affordable housing, to providing mental health and other resources. Special thank you to Commissioner Marleine Bastien for joining us for the second year and to Commissioner Keon Hardemon for welcoming us to his district. Watch this year’s town hall on demand on Island TV.
Building a Future-Ready Community
Milestones in Creating More Housing
Housing continues to be one of the biggest priorities of my administration. Over the past few months, we’ve celebrated four major milestones that are helping address our housing crisis, each one a testament to what’s possible through bold investment and strong public-private partnership.
Quail Roost Station: This new transit-oriented development in South Dade offers 200 affordable units just steps from the brand-new Bus Rapid Transit station.
Homestead Gardens: We broke ground on a transformational reimagining of an aging public housing site. This phase includes 162 units—half under the Rental Assistance Demonstration program and half mixed-income, complete with green-certified design and top-tier amenities.
Liberty Square (Phase 4 – Serenity): We welcomed home 27 original families and brought online 193 new mixed-income units. Alongside more housing, the site now includes the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce headquarters and a Jessie Trice Community Health Center.
Pinnacle at Tropical Pointe: This new 215-unit community in Homestead offers modern, sustainable housing for working families, including EV charging stations, a fitness center, and cyber lounge.
Upgraded baggage handling systems and two new baggage carousels
A ground support equipment maintenance facility
A new aircraft apron and jet fuel hydrant system.
We're working nonstop to ensure MIA continues to grow as a world-class gateway to Miami-Dade and the world.
Now Boarding: World's Largest Cruise Terminal
The Cruise Capital of the World just made history – again! In April, we celebrated the grand opening of the new MSC Cruises Terminal, now the largest in the world.
This state-of-the-art facility will have capacity for up to 36,000 passengers a day, boasting LEED Gold certification, sustainable building materials, EV charging, and energy-efficient equipment – and it's shore power-ready, too. Congratulations to MSC Cruises and all our partners for delivering a game changer for PortMiami and our local economy.
Planting a Greener Future
In March, we had a busy Miami Climate Week! At UM’s Resilience 365 Summit, we shared the incredible progress we are making toward a sustainable and future- ready community. We also officially launched our new Urban Forestry Plan, a bold, community-informed roadmap for growing our tree canopy.
Trees play a critical role in cooling neighborhoods, reducing flooding and energy costs, and enhancing quality of life. Now, we’re putting this plan into action. In just the past two years, Miami-Dade has more than doubled its tree planting efforts to over 16,000 trees annually, and last year secured a $10 million federal grant to plant even more in the years ahead.
Increasing Working Families' Access to High-Quality Child Care
The Children's Trust's Families Forward Child Scholarship
program helps fund quality child care for working families who make too much income to qualify for the state child care subsidy, the Florida School Readiness Program, but still cannot afford the high cost of care. At its peak in 2023, the Families Forward program had a waitlist of over 2,000 children. That’s why we invested $3 million dollars in the program that year, which helped The Children's Trust to leverage an additional $1 million from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation. That combined with The Trust significantly increasing its investment led to an important milestone. As of now, nearly 2,600 children are enrolled in care through the program, and no children are currently on the waitlist. While these numbers fluctuate, the County and its community partners will continue
to advocate for additional state funding to allow additional working families to qualify. Together, we will increase access to care and help ensure families are in school or working.
Community Corner
Miami-Dade is a Stigma-Free Workplace
Miami-Dade proudly became one of the first local governments to sign NAMI’s Stigma-Free Workplace Pledge, a big step toward making mental health support the norm, not the exception. We know that everyone needs support, and there is no shame in asking for help!
United in the Power of Prayer
On May 1, we stood shoulder to shoulder with faith leaders from all walks of life for the National Day of Prayer, a day where we come together to foster hope and unity. From churches to courthouses, mosques to synagogues, temples to schools, we joined millions across the country in lifting up prayers for peace, unity and brighter days ahead.
New Chapter at Chuck Pezoldt Park
Big things are coming to Chuck Pezoldt Park! We broke ground on a brand-new community center and library that will serve as a vibrant space for learning and connection in the heart of South Dade. Honoring the legacy of parks visionary Dr. Charles Pezoldt, this project is all about building community, one chapter and one park day at a time.
Honoring Sean McCrackine’s Legacy
We gathered to honor the life and legacy of Sean McCrackine by dedicating a pineland preserve
in his name – a living tribute to a man whose wisdom and love for our environment shaped our county for decades. A 30-year County employee who served as my Policy Director, Sean was a mentor, a protector of our natural world, and a true public servant whose impact will forever flow through our community.
In Case You Missed It
Miami-Dade is proud to be home to the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S. I’m heartbroken for these families who followed the legal process and now face deportation to a brutal dictatorship.
Yesterday was Take Your Child to Work Day, and it was such a joy to join Chairman @commisharod to share the world of public service with the next generation!
Happy International Water Safety Day! 🛟 🌊 Today, and the entire month of May, is dedicated to raising awareness about drowning prevention and promoting water safety.
As we close out Women’s History Month today, I am celebrating the last of our #WomenofMiamiDade with @zoomiami veterinarian Dr. Gwen Myers!
What a great start to @emergeamericas 2025! From delivering opening remarks to recognizing the Hackathon winners, it was an incredible morning.
The countdown is on to the 2026 @fifaworldcup! 🦩⚽️ It was so special to join the @fwc26miami Host Committee to unveil Miami’s official poster as a Host City, designed by @rubemrobierb.
