SOUTH MIAMI — In words that effectively served as a speech of hope for tackling some of the county’s most pressing issues including affordable housing, economic development, transportation and job growth, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the county’s future is looking bright.
And she wants to keep it that way for years to come which is why Cava, who’s facing reelection in November, said she will ask voters in November to approve a $2.7 billion bond to fund projects for more housing, septic tank to sewer conversion throughout the county to reduce pollution in Biscayne Bay, mitigate flooding and upgrade county parks.
“We want to be future ready,” Cava said during her fourth State of the County Address on Jan. 24 at Zoo Miami. “It’s the 305 future ready bond.”
But a bright future wasn’t the case when Cava took office in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic that forced businesses to temporarily shut down and left people scrambling to find vaccination sites to save lives.
The virus was spreading so fast that county employees worked from home, residents experienced limited public transportation, major county attractions like Zoo Miami and the beaches were closed, and Cava had to deliver her first two State of the County Addresses virtually.
Her address at Zoo Miami was different and back to normalcy as she stood in front of a sea of people including elected officials, county employees, non-profit organizations, first responders and residents.
Cava outlined Miami-Dade accomplishments in 2023 and what the future holds in 2024, saying the county is making big efforts thanks to county commissioners, county employees, first responders, non-profit organizations and companies for doing their part to get Miami-Dade back on track following the effects of adversity.
“My early days as mayor it was hard to see this kind of bright future because our lives stopped during the pandemic,” she said. “It felt like the world had come to a stop. I came into office in the midst of the pandemic and we focused our efforts on saving lives, jobs and businesses. We ensured free testing for all and our testing sites remained open months after federal funding ended to make sure no one was left behind. Thanks to our efforts, Miami-Dade achieved the highest vaccination rate in the state.”
Cava said delivering the address in South Miami-Dade was “extra special” for her because she started her political career there as a county commissioner.
She said being the first female mayor for Miami-Dade wasn’t an easy task and enlisted the help of her colleagues, county employees and organizations to move the county forward.
Another big challenge for Cava was the affordable housing crisis that left thousands of Miami-Dade residents homeless and the county experienced a mass exodus.
Cava said she declared an affordable housing crisis in 2022 and advocated for programs to keep people in their homes and fight evictions.
The county undertook programs to provide rental and mortgage assistance for people struggling to afford where they live, using county, federal and private dollars to address the affordable housing crunch.
“The housing crisis was the greatest challenge,” she said. “But in 2023, we helped 26,000 families stay in their homes with dignity.”
For people seeking to buy their first homes, Cava credits County Commissioners Marlene Bastien and Kevin Caberar for creating first home buyer programs that assist homeowner hopefuls with down payments and other financial resources to secure their residencies.
Cava said Miami-Dade is currently experiencing one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation at 2.2 which is lower than the national average of 3.7.
She said the county added about 6,000 jobs in 2023 and $1 billion to the local economy and more are on the horizon.
“But prosperity wasn’t always promised,” she said. “When I took office in the midst of the pandemic, we faced difficulty but had a choice, get by or lay the groundwork for a brighter future. We chose courage. We are one of the safest metropolitan areas in the country and business is booming.”
Cava said the worst tragedy in county history occurred during her first term: The Surfside condo collapse in 2021 that claimed 98 lives.
The mayor said, with the help of County Commissioner Rene Garcia, the county initiated programs to accelerate building recertification for mandatory inspection for towering structures every 30 years and bolstered the county’s building code to make sure they are safe.
“Two years later, we are more than ever determined to make sure this will never happen again,” she said.
Cava said Miami-Dade has the lowest property tax rate in 40 years and county residents will receive a 35 percent discount for flood insurance.
“That means more money in residents’ pockets and less flooding,” she said.
For education, Cava said residents who can’t afford to pay for college can now earn a degree at no cost under a new partnership with Miami-Dade College.
The Future Ready Miami-Dade Scholarship provides Miami-Dade County residents the opportunity to complete an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degree at MDC with zero cost.
The county’s $3 million, multi-year initiative begins with $750,000 in the 2023-2024 budget.
“Scholarships are now available for residents in need to complete a degree at zero price,” Cava said. “The program is for people to be job ready.”
Facing an increasing trend of gun violence, Cava said violent crimes in Miami-Dade are down, despite turmoil in the police department when former Police Director Freddie Rameriz attempted sucide in Orlando last year following a domestic dispute with his wife.
Cava appointed Stephanie Daniels the new police director and she continued with the 20-year, $90 million Peace and Prosperity crime prevention program to bring down the crime rate.
Cava credits Commissioner Keon Hardemon for creating the program.
“Violent crime has gone down and solving crimes have gone up,” Cava said.
Cava said Miami-Dade is the hub for tourism as Miami International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the nation.
She said MIA experienced a record breaking 77 million passengers in 2023 and expects more in 2024 as the county is spending billions of dollars for expansion projects and maintenance.
“These are historic numbers of passengers,” Cava said. “MIA is transforming to the fastest growing airport in the county.”
County Commissioners praised Cava for her leadership during her annual address.
Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert said Cava is an advocate for all residents despite their color, culture, sex and the music they listen to.
For example, Gilbert said Cava quoted local Hip Hop mega star Rick Ross’ song Everyday I’m Hustlin during a county event.
“She used that quote because she is hustlin everyday,” Gilbert said. “She understands everyone’s culture.”
County Commissioner Keon McGhee echoed similar sentiments.
“Whether you are Black, white, Haitian, Hispanic or gay, you will have a fair shake here in the county,” he said. “I see opportunity but more than anything I see you.”
Lorenzo W. Snelling, Special to Le Floridien
Photo: .facebook.com/MayorDaniella
