2015 Budget Cycle

The new fiscal year officially began and the Board of County Commissioners voted for the new budget on September 17th. Check out the many important budget allocations across Miami-Dade, including investments in our parks, climate change mitigation, pets and police.

A wave of climate and civic activists at the final budget hearing

District 8 Legislation

District 8 started the month with the passage of my proposed legislation at the County Commission.

Don't forget to watch the meetings through Miami-Dade TV.

Attending the Los Angeles US-China Climate Summit

Los Angeles hosted the bilateral summit and I was grateful to attend with the Mayor's delegation. The Summit was the first official gathering of US and Chinese leaders on the issue of climate change in advance of the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris at the end of this year. The purpose of the Summit was to enhance global cooperation on climate change and sea level rise through local commitments and agreements. 

Our county is ground zero for sea level rise in the United States and rising waters pose a serious threat to our community, economy and way of life. Miami-Dade has taken great strides towards climate change adaptation through the work of the Climate Change Advisory Taskforce and the Sea Level Rise Taskforce. Our GreenPrint plan has been used as a national model and I recently put forth legislation to update the GreenPrint plan for the next five years.

A rising tide of civic activists made their voices heard at the budget hearings this year. The County Commission and Mayor Carlos Gimenez allocated an additional $375,000 for a climate change adaptation vulnerability plan and a Resilience Officer position that will report directly to the Deputy Mayor.

The time has come for more aggressive action on climate change. I call for real, sustainable solutions in an op-ed published by the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. We must work together to combat the inevitable effects of rising seas.

With Mayor Gimenez and Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner at the US-China Climate Summit

Grant Writing 101

We had a full house at our District 8 Grant Writing Workshop for Nonprofits. Organizations from across the county learned the fundamentals of identifying  funding opportunities and how to develop and submit successful proposals.

A special thanks to our facilitators, Cutler Bay Counilwoman Sue Loyzelle and Metris Batts-Coley of The Affiliates, LLC.

Packed house!

Our dynamic duo!

Reporting Back from the Homes for All Pets Summit

The Homes for All Pets Summit brought together community leaders to explore solutions to our animal welfare challenges and the results and ideas from the day were gathered into a report. Read the report on our website.

Board of County Commission Meetings

District 8 is presenting several pieces of legislation at the October Board of County Commissioners meetings. Check out some of the highlights below and remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news.

• An ordinance that protects county employees and empowers them to report fraud, waste and abuse, with each employee taking responsibility to help create a more effective and efficient local government.
• A resolution directing the Mayor to prepare an open data policy following the recommendations by the Sunlight Foundation in the spirit of creating a more transparent and open county government, and building upon the efforts already underway.
• A resolution calling for the Mayor to develop a contingency plan for continuous and reliable recycling services in all county facilities after the contractor providing such services at county facilities failed to perform.

Meetings may be streamed from home or a smart phone through the Miami-Dade website. Make sure to send us your ideas and suggestions to [email protected].

Monsters University in District 8!

Another District 8 movie night is coming up soon in Kendall! Find out more information on the District 8 website.

Join us!

Sign-up for the District 8 Small Business Academy

Response to our Small Business Academy has been tremendous and we currently have a waitlist to attend the workshops held throughout October. The academy is free and you can learn more about the topics and where to sign-up here.

Combatting the Oriental Fruit Fly in South Dade

The Oriental Fruit Fly has invaded South Dade. Read more about the aggressive actions that county, state and federal agencies are taking to fight this pest.

Joining Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Mayor Gimenez at oriental fruit fly press conference

Interested in Being Appointed to a District 8 Board?

The first District 8 Board Appointees gathering will take place on October 26th from 6-8 p.m. Visit our website for more information on the meeting and being appointed to a county board.

Agricultural Innovation in South Dade

South Dade is home to a major agricultural area, the second largest component of our county's economy. Find out how Team 8 is helping develop this important sector of our community. 

Finding Forever Homes for our Animals

District 8 held its third pet adoption event in conjunction with Miami-Dade Animal Services at the Fee-Free "P.L.A.Y." Day at the Deering Estate at Cutler. Stay tuned through Facebook and Twitter for our next pet adoption event and call 311 for more information on mobile adoptions throughout Miami-Dade.

#AdoptDontShop