State of the County Address on Thursday 

At Code Across2015, I joined our Code for America Fellows and others in celebration of the International Open Data Weekend where hundreds gathered in multiple cities around the globe to share ideas about open data. This is one more sign of Miami-Dade County's emergence as a hub for technology and innovation.  As part of our continued efforts at implementing open data policies, the Code for America Fellows will work with us to provide greater transparency in government, using technology to make us more efficient and bring us closer to our residents.

I along with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, Public Housing and Community Development Director Michael Liu and Assistant Director Julie Edwards spoke with Liberty City residents about the Liberty City Rising redevelopment project. The revitalization of Liberty Square is a commitment to transform the public housing project and create jobs in the neighborhood. The County will allocate $74 million to the project, which includes $32 million from the voter-approved General Obligation Bond. It is expected to create approximately 2,290 jobs and more than $285 million in economic output within the next four years. 

Last week, Miami-Dade County hosted more than 1,200 lawyers and judges attending the annual Dade County Bar Association Bench and Bar Conference. In my welcome remarks, I touched on the importance of keeping pace with a society in a constant state of change. Just as the law has kept pace with new legal questions brought about by the digital era and other events, our halls of justice must keep pace with our growing population. The Dade County Courthouse was built during a time when the County's population was just 200,000. Today, it's 2.6 million. My goal continues to be making our courthouses worthy of a community of our stature and the fine work of our legal community.

On Tuesday, I welcomed United Water as they opened their Miami-Dade County office. United Water is one of the nation's leading environmental services firms and a member of a global family of water companies that are dedicated to sharing knowledge and delivering world-class service in communities. I am honored that they have chosen Miami-Dade County as their first facility in the Florida. As Mayor of Miami-Dade County, job-creation is one of my top priorities. And we're doing everything in our power to create the right conditions for local businesses like United Water to succeed here.

On Tuesday morning during our Board of County Commissioners meeting, I had the pleasure of recognizing the Mayor's Shining Scholars for February. They are some of the brightest high school students in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and overall excellence, and represent the future leaders of our community. Gabriel and Daniel Vasquez (Unstoppable Scholars), Kirby Lynn Gilmore (Emerging Leader) and Jose Leoncio (Pursuer of Excellence) are not only high performing students with top grades, but they all share a common desire to help improve our community through their involvement in several service projects. The commitment to excellence shown by these and all other of our Mayor's Shining Scholars serve as an inspiration to us all in our public service.