Commissioner Eileen Higgins to host a press conference following the first Driver’s License Suspension Task Force Meeting

MIAMI-DADE – Commissioner Eileen Higgins, District 5, will be joined by the Honorable Steven “Steve” Leifman, Chair of the Driver’s License Suspension Task Force (Task Force), to host a press conference after the inaugural meeting of the County’s new Task Force on Tuesday, May 25, at 4 p.m., in the press room at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 NW 1st St., Miami, FL 33128.

According to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Administrator’s Office, more than 630,000 individuals in Miami-Dade County have suspended licenses, with uncollected fees and costs amounting to over $320,500,000. An overwhelming majority of these suspensions are unrelated to the person’s ability to drive a car, but rather for failure to pay fees and fines. On October 8, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners adopted legislation by Commissioner Higgins to create the Driver's License Suspension Task Force.

The Task Force will engage in a comprehensive review of driver’s license suspensions in Miami-Dade and identify policies and practices to reduce them. Research from counties and municipalities around the country provide examples of policies that lead to increased revenue, reduced costs and reduced suspensions. While much of this area of law is governed by state law, there are many reforms that can be implemented locally such as improving communications and improving payment plan options.

For more information, please contact Francis Izquierdo, Communications Coordinator for Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins at [email protected] or 305-375-5924.