$65,000,000 - for what?

Vol. 5, No. 11 29 September 2024

REFERENDUM

Two days ago I received an Electioneering Communication warning that general bonds of $65 million would significantly raise the taxes of South Miami residents. When I did the arithmetic using the number of households in the City, it came out to $13,725 per household. If that were the total cost (I mean without including interest), that would be about $457 a year for 30 years for each household.

For some households that may not seem like a large amount, for others it might be a great burden. What bothers me is not so much paying-off the bonds as it is not knowing anything specific about what the funds are going to buy. What "various capital improvements"? What "real property"? "What infrastructure"?

I might be delighted to pay extra taxes for some plans. I might object strongly to others. I do not know why the Commission needs a blank check of $65,000,000 before it knows what that fortune is going to buy.

MORE BLANK CHECKS?

I have no idea what benefits accrue to the City if the Commission resets the limit that the City Manager can spend for any department. Would the Commission be giving the Manager a lot more lee-way? Would it be hampering the Manager's effectiveness? I have not seen any explanation about this Referendum anywhere. Yet, the City has a Newsletter. And it has a News and Events page on its web-site.

If - given the difference 24 years has made - the limit needs to be adjusted, why not amend the Charter once.

This is another financial Referendum that I will not support.

WHO SENDS UGLINESS

    I have tried to figure out who is behind the very ugly flyer about a South Miami resident who is running for Commissioner. One thing I learned is that the same people - with a different PAC name - sent a repellent flyer about Cindy Lerner in July.

   These same people formed a new PAC - Miami-Dade Residents United - on September 20. To date they have not posted who contributes to them. It turns out that their earlier PAC - Fighting for a Better Miami Dade - got its last contribution on August 26 from Midtown Development LLC. (Interesting enough, their report of this contribution lists an incorrect and misspelled address for Midtown Development LLC. Midtown Development LLC owns Sunset Place.) I wonder if the officers of both these Coral Gables-based PACs used the money from the older PAC to send out the Rap Sheet flyer.

     And I am sure many in South Miami also received the offensive text that arrived yesterday afternoon.

     It bothers me that people who do not live in South Miami are sending scare-tactic flyers about our election choices. Even though I do not support Daniel Guerra, I do not like seeing the kind of nastiness that the Vice-Mayor once approved.

     To see what my Internet search turned up, click here.

Keep safe, stay healthy!