2023 State of the County

2022 Departmental Achievements

• Animal Services

  • In 2022, Animal Services was able to maintain an overall save rate of 92% despite our historic daily population count.
  • The department increased community cat sterilization surgeries by 12%, at no cost to residents.
  • The Shelter Pet Enrichment Team launched in 2022, ensuring every shelter pet can participate in daily playgroups and walking.
• Audit and Management Services

  • Completed 54 audit reports of County departments and companies doing business with the County.
  • Revenue-based contract compliance audits netted $2.7 million
• Aviation (Miami International Airport)

  • Two years after the pandemic shrank global air travel to historic lows, Miami International Airport (MIA) had its busiest year in 2022 and was on pace in November to surpass 50 million annual passengers for the first time in its history.
  • In 2022, MIA was ranked as America’s busiest airport for international passengers and the 10th busiest for total passengers while also climbing the standings among airports worldwide to rank 9th in total aircraft movements, 11th in international passengers, and 12th in total passengers, according to Airports Council International (ACI). Additionally, MIA’s rebound from the pandemic was the strongest among all large U.S. hubs in 2022.
  • After two consecutive years of record-breaking cargo growth, freight shipments at MIA continued to soar with more than 2.2 million tons through October (the most recent statistics available), putting the airport on track for a new annual record of 2.8 million tons. Total freight increased by 1% through October year over year, with international freight down less than 1% and domestic tonnage increasing by 6%. In 2022, MIA remained America’s busiest airport for international freight and 4th busiest for total freight while rising to 9th busiest for international freight and 10th busiest for total freight among the world’s airports.
• Communications and Customer Experience

  • Miami-Dade County’s 311 Contact Center answered over 1.1 million calls, replied to nearly 57,000 email inquiries, and opened over 445,000 service-related reports.
  • Designed over 3,000 communications pieces, over 600 videos produced, over 143 million visits to miamidade.gov and over 50 public awareness campaigns executed.
  • Through traditional and non-traditional marketing tactics, our Communications and Customer Experience Department (CCED) crafted over 50 public awareness campaigns for various County messages, including election readiness, accurate recycling practices, benefits of pet adoption, hurricane preparedness, Biscayne Bay protection efforts, and COVID-19 safety-related practices.
  • The Department continues to manage the County’s communications channels, ensuring innovative technologies are advanced, allowing positive customer experiences through all communications and nurturing the relationship between our government and the community. From day to day and through challenging and uncertain times, whether under a hurricane watch, during a community tragedy, or as COVID became part of our daily lives, CCED continues to support critical government services and communication channels to ensure that accurate, timely and pertinent information is readily accessible to Miami-Dade County residents and visitors.
• Community Action and Human Services

  • The Mayor’s Blue-Ribbon Commission was officially launched this year and produced The Mayor’s Children’s Summit. Over 300 community partners came together to strengthen comprehensive resources for the county’s children and families. Partners with Miami-Dade County include Healthy Start of Miami-Dade, The Children’s Trust, The Children’s Movement, Miami Dade College, Kiwanis Northeast Miami-Dade, Citrus Health Network, and others. The Commission’s mission is to develop a comprehensive Roadmap for Child Success focusing on the "whole child," build strong foundations for families, promote equity, strengthen public-private partnership, engage, and elevate the voices of parents and caregivers, and strengthen the economy. This initiative focuses on the first five years of life, which is a period of incredible growth. Head Start distributed over $77 million to delegates, providers, and grantees to support children and families in the program.
  • In 2022, the Community Action and Human Services Department’s (CAHSD) Violence Prevention and Intervention Division opened the doors of a new state-of-the-art Safespace Empowerment Center – a domestic violence certified center with 60 emergency shelter beds for victims of domestic violence in Miami Dade County. This center, along with the other four managed by our County, offers life-saving services and support to families during some of the most difficult moments of their life.
  • Through CAHSD’s Energy, Facilities, and Transportation Division’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), over 31 low-income residence homes received energy conservation services to reduce their energy costs, make their homes more efficient, and improve their energy performance.
  • Several programs were launched this year, including the Energy Expansion Program (EEP), making it possible to repair 91 low-income homes. Twenty low-to-moderate-income homeowners were selected to receive grants up to $40,000 to rehab their homes through the Home Rehab program. Twenty households in Districts 1, 3, and 9 will receive assistance through the Home Rehab – Peace and Prosperity Program.
  • In 2022, CAHSD also launched the Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program (SHARP), which will provide home repairs and rehabilitation to 36 senior-owned residential properties.
    • Thriving Mind grant renewed and awarded for FY 2022-23. Total grant amount: $2.6 million. Thriving Mind provides residential substance abuse treatment for one to nine months, outpatient therapy, and day/night treatment.
    • Successfully executed and completed the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP). 80% of enrolled clients successfully completed the program.
    • CAHSD was recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2022 Achievement Awards for the Violence Prevention and Intervention’s Healing Together Project and Office of Neighborhood Safety’s Miami-Dade County’s Peace & Prosperity Plan.
• Cultural Affairs

  • The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded full funding of $500,000 to the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs to launch a new program in support of artists of all creative disciplines working in our community. The Department was one of only 66 cultural affairs agencies in the nation awarded this prestigious federal grant supported by American Rescue Plan funds secured by the NEA. With this funding, the Miami Individual Artists (MIA) program was launched in 2022 and supported more than 200 artists countywide, working in dance, film/video/media arts, folk/traditional arts, literary, multidisciplinary, music, theater/playwriting, and visual arts. These artist/entrepreneurs were from diverse backgrounds, including African American, Haitian American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American, and individuals with disabilities.
  • In the fall of 2022, the Department of Cultural Affairs completed the comprehensive upgrades and improvements to the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. The refreshed campus will feature a major new public artwork / marquee by acclaimed African American artist Xaviera Simmons. Centering Black excellence, the Center has been serving children and families in Liberty City and beyond for 45 years, graduating thousands of students, including nationally acclaimed Academy Award-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater artistic director Robert Battle. The Center’s teaching, gallery and performance spaces have been improved to better serve the inspired educational and cultural programs offered year-round.
  • Lastly, the Department of Cultural Affairs has launched the work to design and build a new African Heritage Cultural Arts Center at the same Liberty City site in time to celebrate the Center’s 50th anniversary. The design work for the new Center is being supported by a major private grant from the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation.
• Elections

  • The Elections Department successfully accomplished their mission by instilling trust and confidence in voters by conducting the August 23, 2022, Primary Election and the November 8 General Election, including a state-required recount, for State Representative, District 106, validating the integrity of the election. The Department also conducted 35 Municipal Elections and one Special Taxing District Election, all of which were conducted in a fair, accurate, transparent, and accessible manner.
  • The Department accomplished the monumental task of redrawing political districts in Miami-Dade County, also known as “redistricting.” This was followed by mailing new voter information cards to all 1.5 million registered voters prior to the Primary Election. During previous Census years, the data was provided much earlier. However, due to COVID-19, there were significant delays in providing the information to Elections departments across the country. Miami-Dade County was successful in accomplishing this detailed work, and ensuring voters were informed and prepared for the 2022 election cycle through a robust outreach campaign.
  • Finally, the Department registered 69,326 new voters in 2022, bringing the total number of registered voters to 1,535,972.
• Fire Rescue

  • In 2022, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue placed three new rescue units in service. On April 4, 2022, Rescues 74 and 13 were placed into service and Rescue 74 is temporarily housed at the Saga Bay Fire-Rescue Station 55, located at 21501 SW 87 Avenue in Cutler Bay, until the construction of the new Palmetto Bay South Fire-Rescue Station 74 is completed. This new unit will enhance service and reduce response times to the Town of Cutler Bay and surrounding communities. Rescue 13 operates out of East Kendall Fire-Rescue Station 13, located at 6000 SW 87th Avenue, and will augment emergency medical services to the Kendall area and other unincorporated areas of southwest Miami-Dade County. Rescue 17 was placed into service on July 18, 2022, at Virginia Gardens Fire-Rescue Station 17, located at 7050 NW 36th Street. Rescue 17 will improve service delivery to the cities of Virginia Gardens and Doral, as well as neighboring communities. All units are staffed by three firefighter/paramedics.
  • Members of Miami-Dade Fire’s Urban Search and Rescue Team (US&R) Florida Task Force One (FL-TF1) were deployed in response to two hurricanes during the third quarter of the year. On September 19, 2022, three members were deployed to San Juan, Puerto Rico to support the search and rescue efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Fiona. As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) US&R Incident Support Team (IST), the three team members were activated to support local responders in the search and rescue activities after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on September 18, 2022, as a Category 1 hurricane in southwestern Puerto Rico, causing fierce winds and widespread flooding. Ten days later, on September 28, 2022, the entire 96-member Type 1 team was deployed to Southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian as a State of Florida asset to assist those impacted by a devastating Category 4 hurricane.
• Human Resources

  • The Human Resources Department, in partnership with CareerSource South Florida, expanded its outreach to potential candidates in the community by hosting monthly Career Fairs at various locations throughout Miami-Dade County. On the spot hiring for several hard to fill positions was instituted and was very successful. Since the launch of the series, over 550 job offers have been extended in various departments including the Department of Transportation and Public Works, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Solid Waste Management, Seaport, Animal Services, Internal Services, and the Community Action and Human Services Department.
  • The Department also launched EmployABILITY 305 - a new program that builds upon the ongoing efforts to promote accessibility and inclusion for individuals with disabilities within the County. This program, which is designed to identify barriers to the employment of persons with disabilities and promote accessibility and inclusion within the County’s workforce, will be implemented in three separate phases: training; targeted recruitment and placement; and career development.
• Information Technology

  • The Information Technology Department successfully protected Miami-Dade County government against cyberattacks as threats increased from a global level following the war in Ukraine. With the around the clock monitoring from Mandiant, the County continues to be alerted on any major threat or attempts against the County that need additional investigation. To ensure protection for the County’s critical infrastructure, the security team, along with several federal agencies, conducted tabletop exercises, testing various scenarios to ensure the proper levels of protection and cyber readiness.
  • The Department began modernizing internal systems with the implementation of INFORMS system, replacing the legacy Financial, Procurement and HR/Payroll systems. This new fully integrated system, along with the future dashboards, will provide a platform for improved operations, efficiency, and reporting.
• Internal Services

  • In April 2022, the Internal Services Department (ISD) hosted a Procurement Roundtable to launch Miami-Dade County’s new small business and procurement initiative. ISD’s Small Business Division, working with the Strategic Procurement Department, developed an unprecedented approach to how we acquire goods and services. This initiative prioritizes equity, inclusion, environmental sustainability, local participation, worker conditions, transparency, and efficiency in our procurement to create greater economic opportunities for residents and small businesses.
  • ISD secured a set-aside contract to utilize small businesses that are certified with Miami-Dade County for the procurement of office supplies. As a result, over $3 million were reinvested in small and local businesses in Miami-Dade County through the purchase of office supplies, effectively helping our local community recover and thrive in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Through the leadership of Director Alex Muñoz, the Department proudly led the effort to have Miami-Dade County named as a Host City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
  • Finally, ISD is leading the countywide initiative to ensure that our goal of purchasing at least 10% of the County’s light vehicle fleet annually is achieved. In 2022, Miami-Dade County successfully facilitated the purchase of 74 electric vehicles across all County departments. ISD also guided County departments to make the requisite infrastructure improvements to accommodate charging equipment at County buildings to serve electrified fleet vehicles.
• Juvenile Services

  • Working closely with Miami-Dade County Parks' Fit2Lead Program, the Juvenile Services Department (JSD) enhanced its Diversion and Prevention Continuum assessment referral and protocol to include wraparound services, allowing a comprehensive approach to addressing arrested and at-risk residents. Services included job placement, internships, psycho-educational groups, and social and emotional learning groups. Participants were offered assessment, linkage to Community-Based Organizations, and case management services from JSD Case Managers, using a family-focused approach to engage parents in the success of their child’s involvement in the continuum of care.
  • The Department implemented the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) within its Juvenile Assessment Center and Community-Based Programming. ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood during the ages of 0-17. The goal is to prevent ACEs before they happen, identify those who have experienced ACEs, and respond using trauma-informed approaches in order to create the conditions for strong, thriving families and communities where all children and youth are free from harm and all people can achieve lifelong health and wellbeing. Since its implementation, over 550 youth have completed the ACE questionnaire, and according to their individualized needs, youth have been linked to services in order to prevent health conditions in the future.
• Libraries

  • In 2022, the Miami-Dade Public Library System continued to expand its Community Internet Connectivity Initiative to help narrow the digital divide in our County and provide residents with equitable access to technology and the internet. The Library added 2,000 Chromebook laptops with free built-in internet to its Mobile Device Lending Program, which also includes more than 700 internet-enabled tablets and 500 Wi-Fi hotspots, available for residents to check out with a library card. The Library also expanded its Drive-up Wi-Fi service allowing residents to stay connected to over 1,500 parking spaces at 33 library locations.
  • The Library System expanded its Library Social Worker Program to connect vulnerable populations in our community with access to social services, assisting nearly 2,000 residents in 2022.
  • The Library System proudly launched Miami-Dade County’s Community ID program. Community ID cards allow vulnerable residents to access select County services and more fully participate in the community. The first Community ID was issued on October 17, 2022, and Branches continues to hold Community ID sign up events throughout the County.
• Miami-Dade Police Department

  • In 2022, the Miami-Dade Police Department dedicated over 447,000 hours to its Operation Community Shield program, seizing 2,033 handguns, 414 rifles, 942 stolen vehicles, 695,864 grams of narcotics, and issuing 17,670 moving infractions, 11,376 non-moving infractions, made over 21,000 citizen contacts, and seized $2,758,528.00 in U.S. currency. Additionally, shootings decreased by 31% when comparing 2022 vs. 2020.
  • The Motorcycle Unit implemented the Countywide Traffic Awareness Campaign to reduce traffic fatalities caused by drivers who intentionally and hazardously disregard traffic laws. As of December 11, 2022, the Motorcycle Unit issued 2,962 Hazardous Moving Violations, 1,986 Non-Hazardous Moving Violations, 1,468 Written Warnings, 757 Verbal Warnings, and made 29 Arrests (DUI, Stolen Vehicle, Fugitive Warrant, etc.)
• Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces

  • Miami-Dade Parks kept the environment at the forefront in 2022 by planting 13,530 trees, giving away 1,838 trees to residents, saving 972,000 gallons of water and $26,000 in fertilizer and chemicals by reducing turf in Crandon Golf Course tidal mitigation areas.
  • The Department hosted one of largest Earth Day celebrations in the country with over 60 Earth Day events throughout the County, and delivered environmental and climate change education to over 40,500 Miami-Dade County residents through parks programs.
  • Parks managed Miami Seaquarium’s Lease Transfer to a New Owner and facilitated for the Mayor’s Office launching a new chapter in Seaquarium history, which ensures the highest standards of health, care, and safety for all of the facility’s marine inhabitants; greater accountability and oversight of facility management by Miami-Dade County. In addition, Parks facilitated for the Mayor’s Office the new and unprecedented partnership between Miami-Dade County, the Seaquarium, Friends of Toki, and the Lummi Nation.
  • Parks opened the first sea turtle hospital in the County to treat ill and/or injured sea turtles at Zoo Miami. The Sea Turtle Conservation Program, in its 42nd year of preserving sea turtles on all county shorelines, identified, marked, and protected 700 nests in the 2022 nesting season, and launched Adopt-a-Nest, increased awareness/public engagement on sea turtle conservation: 35 nests adopted.
• Public Housing and Community Development

  • The Public Housing and Community Development Department successfully distributed over $137 million through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, protecting more than 21,000 residents from eviction.
  • The Department hosted the 2022 Mayor’s Housing Summit in June with more than 1,000 participants to announce Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s housing Building Blocks initiative - and other efforts toward increasing the supply of affordable and workforce housing throughout Miami-Dade County.
  • The updated Miami-Dade County housing affordability tracker was launched, showing more 34,000 affordable and workforce housing units in various stages of development through 2023.
• Regulatory and Economic Resources

  • In 2022, the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources saw a 73% increase in the number of new development applications that had a workforce or affordable housing component and expedited all zoning and permit type reviews for workforce housing at no extra charge to the applicant, which yielded new construction and development.
  • The Department led the launch of the Extreme Heat Action Plan that outlined 19 actions focused on achieving three goals: 1. Inform, prepare and protect residents and visitors, especially outdoor workers; 2. Improve access to cost-effective cooling in homes. 3. Cool neighborhoods, bus stops, and parks through tree protection and planting. The Department has already begun to make significant progress, dedicating funds toward each of these goals.
  • The first official Heat Season Campaign was declared by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and launched on May 1, 2022. Through multiple channels, including radio, television, outdoor ads and billboards, and social media, the multilingual campaign reached over 3.5 million people and through multiple touchpoints.
  • Through the County’s partnership with the State of Florida, we are providing unprecedented funding of nearly $37.4 million over the past two years in support of the septic to sewer conversions –– improving stormwater systems and maintenance and implement cutting-edge technology to predict sanitary sewer overflows.
• Seaport

  • In 2022, PortMiami proudly welcomed nearly 4.1 million cruise passengers, including opening two new cruise terminals and breaking ground on MSC’s Cruise Terminal - which will be the largest in the Americas.
  • In cargo, PortMiami recorded its second busiest year in its history with 1,197,663 TEUs and welcomed the largest cargo ship to call a Florida Port, the CMA-CGM Osiris.
  • By the end of 2023, PortMiami will be shore power ready at five cruise terminals with the ability to plug in three cruise ships simultaneously.
• Solid Waste Management

  • The Department of Solid Waste Management was proudly inducted into the United States Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor as Essential Workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Department unveiled, and put into service, the County’s first-ever electric powered waste collection vehicle.
  • Implemented the bulky waste appointment system, reducing the amount of time bulky waste piles sit on public rights-of-way.
• Water and Sewer

  • In 2022, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department inaugurated the Connect 2 Protect Program: a multi-year program focused on converting vulnerable septic tank systems impacted by high ground water levels to County sewer infrastructure.
  • The Department will become the number one utility in the State of Florida, as well as the entire eastern coast, for water reuse, with the goal of going from 15 million gallons of reused water per day (MGD) to more than 100 MGD by implementing the Effluent Energy Recovery Systems at the three wastewater treatment plants in Miami-Dade County.
  • As part of the largest Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in Miami-Dade County’s history, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department had an unprecedent year in 2022 by executing an historic investment of more than $550 million in a 12-month period during fiscal year 2021-22. Furthermore, more than $1 billion in projects have been executed. These investments include state-of-the-art upgrades at each of the water and wastewater treatment plants, resilient hardening at the pump stations, and replacement of aging infrastructure throughout the water and wastewater systems. The multi-year $7.8 billion CIP is comprised of projects that will benefit all corners of our community, by sustaining high-quality, safe, and reliable services today as well as planning to support economic projects and population growth in the future.
  • As our community continues to face a vast range of climate-related impacts, including rising seas and storm surge, the Water and Sewer Department is confronting and mitigating the risk of damage to our wastewater and drinking water infrastructure systems by upgrading facilities to include the adoption of resilient and climate-ready designs. The Water and Sewer Department will continue this investment in our essential infrastructure through the execution of the Consent Decree, Ocean Outfall, Pump Station Resilience, Water Reset, Flow Reduction, and Asset Management Programs.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava