South Florida Mayors Discuss 2026 Priorities: Property Taxes, Traffic, and Resilience

Property Tax Concerns for Local Government

• ⚠️ Property taxes are a major source of revenue for local governments, funding essential services like parks, transit, and law enforcement.
• 💰 Proposals to eliminate or roll back property taxes could significantly impact general fund budgets, with estimates ranging from 4.5% to nearly a quarter of the budget for Miami-Dade County.
• 📉 Local governments receive only a small portion (10-12 cents) of each property tax dollar, with much going to school boards, water districts, and other entities.
• 📢 Mayors emphasize the need to educate constituents on the consequences of property tax reduction, highlighting potential cuts to core services.

Addressing South Florida's Traffic Congestion

• 🚗 South Florida faces chronic traffic issues, with state jurisdiction over many commute routes.
• 🚀 Miami-Dade is advancing transit solutions, including the Metro Express service on the South Dade Transit Way, aiming to save commuters time and improve mobility.
• 🚌 Broward County is focusing on widening roads and implementing intelligent traffic signaling, while also promoting mass transit and exploring future commuter and light rail projects.
• 🔑 Convenience and education are key to encouraging mass transit adoption, with efforts to provide parking solutions and expand bus routes.

Sea Level Rise and Flood Mitigation Projects

• 🌊 Monroe County is nearing completion of a project to raise roads and install pump systems in flood-prone communities like Twin Lakes.
• 🏘️ A new model for hurricane evacuation times (24.5 hours) has allowed for additional building permits in Monroe County, prioritizing workforce and full-time occupancy housing.
• 🏗️ Miami-Dade is implementing density increases along transit corridors and utilizing county properties for development to prevent sprawl and manage traffic.
• 💧 Broward County is addressing potential flooding from canal systems, requiring new pumps and higher seawalls, and is seeking federal funding for these resiliency projects.
• 💡 Miami-Dade is converting septic to sewer systems to protect bay health and is exploring special taxing districts for neighborhood-level flood mitigation projects.

State Preemption and Local Control

• 🏛️ Preemption bills passed by the state legislature limit local governments' ability to enact their own laws, particularly concerning development and consumer protection.
• ⚖️ Senate Bill 180 in Florida restricts local governments from making laws that interfere with development, impacting environmental protections and quality of life.
• 🔒 Broward County's ordinance requiring background checks for locksmiths was preempted by the state, highlighting the loss of local consumer protection measures.
• 🗣️ Mayors argue that a one-size-fits-all approach from Tallahassee is problematic for diverse communities and that local governments are best positioned to understand and address residents' needs.
• 🏡 The Live Local Act, aimed at affordable housing, is another example of state preemption impacting local zoning decisions.