Recently, Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez introduced his plan to reduce the number of County departments from 42 to 25. The plan is a first step toward building a more efficient County government to better serve taxpayers.

The following is an excerpt from the Mayor’s County Reorganization Memorandum, specifically relating to the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department.

“The Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department will provide park maintenance, operating and programming support, will plan for and develop new parks and green spaces, and will operate facilities including the Deering Estate, Zoo Miami, pools, golf courses, marinas and other actions. Through the reorganization process this department will assume the Public Works functions of maintaining rights-of-way, including mowing and landscaping cycles, installation of landscaping, urban forestry and support of the Community Image Advisory Board. The additional functions are complementary to the department's current work, as Special Taxing Districts are already maintained by Park and Recreation. This addition also aligns with the Miami-Dade County Park and Open Space System Master Plan, which is focused on developing a 50-year, unifying vision for a livable, sustainable community.”

Read the full memo