Mayor Daniella Levine Cava: "Making deeper cuts would be very short-sighted"
MIAMI - Mayor Daniella Levine Cava spoke Friday about the proposed budget and multi-year capital plan for Miami Dade County.
Cava proposed a 1% property tax reduction.
That 1% reduction Cava says will offer immediate relief to homeowners and if they made deeper cuts essential county services would suffer.
Right now, they're making any cuts with that reduction.
"I would hold the line on 1% because without those dollars a small amount to each homeowner but a large amount to the county budget for basic services and these needed housing services," said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says making deeper cuts would be very short-sighted; and if they went beyond 1% they would have to cut from essential services such as police, fire rescue, and more.
"Unlike a steep mileage cut where the large majority does not even go to homeowners instead investors and speculators who have been driving up our housing cost and rent prices would stand the most to gain for more drastic cuts," said Cava.
A single mom of 5 we spoke to says that she's looking to get a second job just to attempt to put money aside to one day buy a home.
But she says even with A 1% reduction she wouldn't be able to afford it.
"What is the going to do for anybody like what is 1%," said Vanessa Session, a mom struggling to pay rent.
Session says it's not making her journey towards wanting to become a homeowner any easier.
"What is that really going to do when they're raising rent, raising food prices...milk is 5 dollars! for one gallon! The cost of everything is going up, so what is 1% in that tax going to do...it's not going to help nobody," said Session.
Session is hopeful the county will put up more affordable housing, which Cava says they're planning to do.
Cava's proposed programs to continue building housing and supply affordable rental and homeowner opportunities.
She said they'll do that by expanding the emergency rental assistance program, expanding existing programs to provide urgent relief to homeowners, fund the building blocks incentive program for the first year to convert existing housing into affordable or workforce units.
"You turn around they're putting up a new condominium, but no one can afford to stay there if you really look at the rent and reality it's like 2,000 for a one bedroom, who can afford that? When I'm already trying to get a second job just to afford my little 1400 dollars, it's a lot to some people and not a lot to others but it's a lot to me," said Session.
Cava also stated she will be working with the homeless trust in renovating a facility for senior citizens experiencing homelessness.
