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Tabla de Contenido/ Table of Contents
- 1 Concerns about Lack of Transparency and Priorities in Miami-Dade County. Budget Concerns in Miami-Dade Government
- 2 The Lack of Important Data to Understand the Functioning of the County Government is a Top Priority
- 3 Adding to these incomplete analyses, the acquisition of land and properties
- 4 There are several questions about how these acquisitions impact Miami-Dade’s budget and priority needs?
Concerns about Lack of Transparency and Priorities in Miami-Dade County. Budget Concerns in Miami-Dade Government
Transparency is a fundamental pillar in the management of any government, as it allows citizens to evaluate the performance of their authorities and ensure the proper use of public resources.
Today, within the framework of the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners—Regular Session on December 3, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.—a set of monthly reports from the Miami-Dade Aviation Capital Program in 2024 will be analyzed. These reports present a series of deficiencies that negatively affect the perception of transparency and accountability of the county government toward its residents.
The Lack of Important Data to Understand the Functioning of the County Government is a Top Priority
- Incomplete Budget Execution: The reports lack detailed financial indicators, such as the specific percentages of budget execution (30%, 60%, 90%) required by Ordinance No. 19-122. Without this information, it is difficult to evaluate the real progress of the projects and the efficient use of public funds.
- Insufficient Monitoring of Key Projects:
- Runway Incursion Mitigation: No financial progress has been recorded since July, despite being a priority project, which prevents understanding its current status.
- LiDAR Services: Shows limited progress without justification for the delays, generating uncertainty about its development.
- Inconsistencies in Reported Achievements: The reports highlight occasional public events but omit significant structural advances in previous months, creating an incomplete view of the program’s progress.
- Limited Transparency in Grants: The lack of consistent information on state and federal grants received and requested fails to comply with ordinances and affects confidence in the management of external funds.
Adding to these incomplete analyses, the acquisition of land and properties
This adds a new dimension to concerns about transparency and efficient management of public resources.
The purchases include:
- Acquisition of 57 acres near Miami Executive Airport:
- Location: 12800 SW 145th Avenue.
- Purchase Price: $15,900,000.
- Purpose: Integration into the Runway Protection Zone and airport development activities.
- Acquisition on 25th Street:
- Location: 3901 NW 25th Street, 3975 NW 25th Street, and 3900 NW 26th Street, Miami.
- Surface Area: Approximately 150,000 square feet (3.44 acres).
- Purchase Price: $17,000,000.
- Purpose: Expansion of Miami International Airport (MIA) and authorization to demolish existing structures.
These acquisitions, totaling $32,900,000,
There are several questions about how these acquisitions impact Miami-Dade’s budget and priority needs?
- Are these expenses contemplated within the already budgeted $12.7 billion of the current county budget?
- Is this the same budget that had no funds for the development of art in the county?
- How does this investment affect the distribution of resources for other priority needs of the residents of this county, such as providing sewer services to neighborhoods where this service has not existed since 1926?
- What other priority needs are affected by these acquisitions?
- Where will the money come from for the ideal new airport envisioned by our commissioners and our mayor?
- Are we no longer satisfied with the already old and neglected Miami International Airport, which today has a planned multimillion-dollar renovation?
