As Florida DOGE looms, Miami-Dade faces budget cuts and the mayor hits a crisis

Miami Herald

23-07-2025

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told the Herald Editorial Board in May that a 'perfect storm' of financial headwinds were to blame for the county's $402 million budget shortfall. There's a lot of truth to that statement. Some of the challenges facing the county were outside local control, mainly the costs of complying with a 2018 state referendum that forced Miami-Dade to turn some of its departments, such as police, into independent offices run by new elected officials.
But, as we wrote in May, Levine Cava and the 13 county commissioners who must approve the budget every year rode high on rising property tax revenues and $1 billion of federal COVID funding that's now dried up. They should have had more foresight. Now Levine Cava is suggesting budget cuts for next year that she said will be 'very painful,' the Herald reported.
Miami-Dade's budget woes also might turn out to be politically painful, especially for the mayor, the first major test she's faced in two terms.
Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, the frenzy to cut programs has reached all levels of government. The newly-created Florida DOGE — fashioned after the Trump administration department responsible for firing thousands of federal employees — is auditing spending by Broward County, Gainesville and other communities. Gov. Ron DeSantis said it is 'very possible' that Miami-Dade could be next, the Sun Sentinel reported.
The Florida DOGE is more about politics than fiscal responsibility. It is targeting programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and that are aimed at responding to climate change, a central issue for Levine Cava. Perhaps foreseeing these political headwinds, she eliminated two top environmental positions in county government, chief resilience officer and chief heat officer, both of which earned six-figure salaries. She also re-organized and reduced the department in charge of climate change response as part of her cost-cutting measures.
With more cuts to come, the pain will be felt by the most vulnerable people and organizations in Miami-Dade.
The mayor is proposing cuts across county departments, including $40 million in nonprofit funding, closing two senior centers that her administration says are 'underperforming,' with only about two dozen people using them, and closing three places where older residents can get free meals, which are also described as 'underperforming.' Grants for small businesses and arts organizations, which already lost state dollars last year, are also on the chopping block.
Of course, few causes can be spared when budget cuts become inevitable. and there should be few sacred cows. But where was that mindset when the mayor and commission in recent years approved $46 million in direct funding and free services for the soccer World Cup when it comes to Miami in 2026 — $36 million of which will come due in the 2026 budget, according to the Herald. Just two months ago, Levine Cava endorsed the latest $10 million subsidy installment for the Cup and acknowledged that may lead to service cuts.
Certainly, managing a budget the size of Miami-Dade is a difficult, thankless job. Since her election in 2020, Levine Cava, a former county commissioner and nonprofit founder, has faced few major crises. One of two Democrats elected countywide, she occupies a nonpartisan office and has managed to remain non controversial despite Miami-Dade's rightward shift. Her handling of the Surfside building collapse and her initiatives to help people affected by South Florida's housing crisis have earned her community goodwill.
She was easily reelected last year despite criticism about county spending from her main opponent, Manny Cid, a Republican and former mayor of Miami Lakes. In January, Levine Cava appointed Cid as the county's senior advisor for economic opportunity, a great display of her ability to reach across the aisle but one that cost taxpayers $200,000 per year for his salary. She's now proposing to eliminate the department where Cid works.
Fiscal management does not rest only with the mayor of Miami-Dade County, but with the county commission as well. But, politically, Levine Cava will be the one blamed or celebrated for how the county deals with this great challenge. The pressure has never been greater.
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