Vroom! Housing Can You a Sticking Hear That? Point Miami Gardens Says No Property Taxes Flat in to Formula One Racing Mayor’S $8.9B Budget
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume 97 Number 6 | SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2019 | MiamiTimesOnline.com | Ninety-Three Cents Vroom! Housing Can you a sticking hear that? point Miami Gardens says no Property taxes flat in to Formula One racing mayor’s $8.9B budget PHILIPPE H. BUTEAU FELIPE RIVAS Miami Times Contributor [email protected] If it were up to some Miami Gardens Housing was a hot topic as Miami-Dade residents, the only racing Formula One residents continued to air concerns re- cars would be doing is racing away from garding the county’s affordable housing their city. situation during Thursday’s final budget That’s after they heard from an acous- hearing. Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s approved tical engineer that the noise level that $8.9 billion budget sees mostly flat tax the racing cars would emit could cause rates, but added little new monies toward hearing damage and pain. the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which More than 100 people attended a town advocates pushed for through the budget hall meeting lead by Miami Gardens season. officials, county representatives and the This bud- Miami Dolphins to hear about the stadi- get season, um owner’s plan to bring F1 racing to the affordable stadium. housing advo- Formula One racing has been seeking a cates demand- location to race in South Florida. Resi- ed action on dents of the city of Miami protested and Miami-Dade’s the city’s commissioners rejected the idea. housing crisis To bring racing to Hard Rock Stadium, asking com- the Miami-Dade County Board of Com- Housing summit to focus on 10,000 missioners to missioners need to weigh in. The Miami add $60 million Dolphins have the contractual right to — a fraction of the solution to the Afford- host events at their stadium on Shula able Housing Drive in Miami Gardens. The Dolphins Trust Fund, have a community benefits agreement on PHILIPPE H. BUTEAU while many the table from F1 and projections of $423 commission- Miami Times Contributor ers expressed “This is extremely concerns with troubling. We cannot espite the voices calling attention to the need for the slow pace at Barbara have $263 million more affordable housing, only about 3% of the which projects Jordan are completed sitting while we are 2019-2020 Miami-Dade County budget is dedi- and the millions faced with a crisis.” cated to solving the crisis. of subsidies that “ And a crisis it is. are rolled over —District 2 Commissioner D from year to Jean Monestime year. Researchers say 130,000 new housing units At an earlier are needed; the county has plans for 10,000. budget hearing, the trust’s chair, Annie Lord, advocated for The Miami-Dade Board of County Commis- the bold $60 million figure. “The enormous sioners passed the budget for the upcoming magnitude of the problem that we face fiscal year, which has $8.9 billion allocated and requires that we take bold action,” she told $263 million for affordable housing. Community commissioners. Miami-Dade needs close to organizers are calling on elected officials to do 130,000 affordable housing units to meet the current demand, she said, citing a study by more for housing. Florida International University’s Metropol- “We had a lot to say about the county bud- itan Center. get,” Adrian Madriz said. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund is a Madriz, 31, has been a community organizer permanent, renewable, source of revenue Miami Times photo/ Philippe H. Buteau to meet, in part, the housing needs of the since 2014 and became Miami Workers Cen- million in spending on local businesses. residents of Miami-Dade County. Presently, The race, if the Dolphins go through ter’s affordable housing coordinator in February the trust has about $8 million in funds, ac- with the idea, will take place on the land 2019. cording to Lord. Lord, who’s also executive leased from the county but outside the “The total need far exceeds the goal,” Madriz director of Miami Homes For All, says the stadium. However, it will require the said. “It’s too low, absolutely. They’re not dedi- fund needs at least $10 million to cover fees use of a section of Northwest 199 Street, and administer the fund. which is a county road. cating nearly enough, not even close. You would After scores of residents and advocates When County Commissioner Barbara J. need to spend five years of the county budget vociferously complained about their hous- Jordan asked town hall attendees to stand to cover that expense, to make it so we can ing woes throughout the different budget if they supported the event, only one have the 130,000 units needed right now.” hearings some $3 million of new money stood up. slated to the trust was approved Thursday. At least, the public and the private sectors “Ok, I have my answer,” Jordan said at The 2019-2020 budget allotted close to Norland Senior High School Sept. 17. are willing to discuss the housing problem. $263 million toward affordable housing, a An earlier meeting held at Carol City District 9 Commissioner Dennis C. Moss will mixture of new surtax funding and carry- Senior High School was poorly attended, host “Closing in 10,000 - A Housing Summit” over funding from past years. Some $194 according to Jordan. million of the total affordable housing at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade Col- Betty T. Ferguson, former County Com- budget is carryover funding from previous missioner with a recreational complex lege on Oct. 7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tick- years to which some commissioners shared and an avenue named after her, brought ets are $30. Moss is also chairman of frustration with the residents. a scientist who gave a presentation about the County’s Housing and Commu- Working with the private sector to devel- the noise pollution from an F1 event. nity and Economic Development op affordable housing is very “complex,” “We didn’t want our community to be said Director of Housing and Community accused of reacting emotionally,” Fergu- Committee. Development Michael Liu. The county son said. “We want to react to the facts.” Moss was unavailable funds not more than 25 percent of affordable A Rock & Roll concert produces noise for comment as of press housing projects. Developers have to find levels between 100 and 120 decibels, the time. 75 percent of the rest of the money from measurement of sound. other sources through tax credits and other Daniella Pierre is Colby Leider has a doctorate in music sources, Liu said. “That takes time,” he said composition and has 25 years of expe- chairwoman of the “This is extremely troubling,” said District rience as an acoustical engineer. In his NAACP Housing 2 Commissioner Jean Monestime. “We can- presentation Leider said 140 decibels not have $263 million sitting while we are SEE UNITS 4A could be felt in the stands of Hard Rock faced with a crisis,” Monestime said. Stadium. The commission approved the tax rates At that level, racegoers could be “ex- for the upcoming 2019-2020 fiscal year. The posed to permanent hearing loss or pain,” rates stand at 4.7 percent of every $1,000 of Leider said. a property’s assessed value countywide, 1.9 At nearby housing, the roars from the percent for unincorporated Miami-Dade, cars’ engines in an F1 race could reach 124 2.4 percent for fire rescue services, and 0.2 decibels. When the race reaches Barger percent for the library system. SEE ONE 6A The fiscal year is set to start on Oct. 1. BUSINESS ................................................. 8B FAITH & FAMILY ...................................... 7D A night of Today CLASSIFIED ............................................. 11B FAITH CALENDAR ................................... 8D 88° IN GOOD TASTE ......................................... 1C HEALTH & WELLNESS ............................. 9D 3C classic R&B LIFESTYLE HAPPENINGS ....................... 5C OBITUARIES ............................................. 12D The Whispers and Stephanie 8 90158 00100 0 INSIDE Mills perform in Broward Editorials Cartoons Opinions Letters VIEWPOINT BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY | SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2019 | MiamiTimesOnline.com MEMBER: National Newspaper Periodicals Postage Credo Of The Black Press Publisher Association paid at Miami, Florida State taking too slow an (ISSN 0739-0319) The Black Press believes that America MEMBER: The Newspaper POSTMASTER: Published Weekly at 900 NW 54th Street, can best lead the world from racial and Association of America Send address changes to Miami, Florida 33127-1818 national antagonism when it accords Subscription Rates: One Year THE MIAMI TIMES, approach to enforcing Post Office Box 270200 to every person, regardless of race, $65.00 – Two Year $120.00 P.O. Box 270200 Buena Vista Station, Miami, Florida 33127 creed or color, his or her human and Foreign $75.00 Buena Vista Station, Miami, FL Phone 305-694-6210 legal rights. Hating no person, fearing 7 percent sales tax for Florida residents 33127-0200 • 305-694-6210 texting while driving H.E. SIGISMUND REEVES Founder, 1923-1968 no person, the Black Press strives to GARTH C. REEVES JR. Editor, 1972-1982 help every person in the firm belief that GARTH C. REEVES SR. Publisher Emeritus all persons are hurt as long as anyone Admit it: You still text while driving, even though it’s now RACHEL J. REEVES Publisher 1992-2019 is held back. CAROLYN GUNISS Executive Editor against the law in Florida. Bad habits die hard. Even when it’s dangerous, like texting. It has been nearly three months since Florida joined the rest of the country and made texting while driving a primary of- Congress, don't raise air taxes fense. That means an officer can ticket you for it without needing DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS JR., president and CEO, Natonal Newspaper Publishers Association another reason to stop your car.