Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez Talks Budget and Development

In this clip, Grant Stern talks with Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez about several issues facing the county. First of all, Mayor Giménez talked about the budget that is due to be released shortly, indicating that the county has turned a corner financially. He said that this budget should not be controversial – tax rates are not going up and services will be able to remain at current levels or even be enhanced. The mayor also talked about the newly inaugurated Dan Paul Park, a parcel of land located between the AmericanAirlines Arena and Biscayne Bay that was promised to be public green space but has not yet materialized. Mayor Giménez expressed his support for the park. Then, the issue of term limits for elected officials in the county was raised. The office of county mayor has been term-limited since 1996, though the county commissioners had no term limits until very recently. However, since Mayor Giménez was first elected in a recall election to serve out the term of outgoing mayor Carlos Alvarez, he is eligible to serve two full terms, meaning he is able to run for re-election in 2016. Next, Grant asked the mayor about the proposed LED tower that would be constructed as part of the Miami Innovation District. Local activists have complained that the tower would be an eyesore and, because it would feature advertisements, would violate current county ordinances. Mayor Giménez voiced his opposition to the tower and his belief that it would violate the county's building code. He stated that the power to enforce such code restrictions was up to each municipality, and that some were more vigilant than others. Mayor Giménez then talked about the possibility of an MLS expansion team building a stadium in Miami-Dade County. Currently, the most likely spot is adjacent to Marlins Park, though discussions are ongoing. The mayor did say that no county resources or tax dollars would be spent on the stadium. The discussion then progressed to the Miami WorldCenter project and the use of public money for private development. Mayor Giménez suggested that each project must be judged on its merits – there is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be taken. A project should demonstrate great value to the community in terms of economic development and jobs to warrant public funds. Residents can get involved in supporting or opposing such projects through speaking at county committee or commission meetings. Further, oftentimes, special taxing districts are created to assist in funding infrastructure improvements such as water, power, and sewer. Mayor Giménez stated that the money comes from within the project, not from taxpayers. Finally, the conversation shifted to policing, and specifically, the use of body-worn cameras for Miami-Dade police officers. Mayor Giménez indicated that a proposal request has been issued for companies to provide bids for cameras and video storage solutions. He also stated that most video would be available as public records, though certain videos would be unavailable due to privacy concerns.