Mayor's Budget Message
Miami Residents and Honorable Commissioners:
I am pleased to present the Operating Budget and Multi-Year Capital Plan for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. This budget reflects what I’ve heard from residents in every corner of Miami: they want a government that is fiscally responsible and serious about delivering results. Miami’s families are managing rising costs, which is why this budget holds the millage rate flat, at its lowest level in 60 years. It is built on sound assumptions and careful planning, with the State’s possible property tax amendment factored into our approach. It builds on the operational progress made this year by the capable City employees who work for you, and moves Miami forward as a more efficient, more resilient, and more responsive city.
As Mayor, I am committed to transforming City processes to better serve our residents. I’ve learned that organizational change only takes hold when an organization builds a culture of innovation and empowers its people to make decisions.
In my first few months, I began by asking questions: Can we do this differently so it feels easier for residents? How can we speed up permitting for parks, affordable housing, and drainage projects? What are we still doing that seems outdated or unnecessary?
Then I asked our employees what they wanted to change. It turned out they had no shortage of ideas. That led to a different question: what can I, or the City Manager, do to help them act on those ideas? Often, the answer was simple. Just say yes, so we can get started.
That spirit of innovation has already yielded results. Same-day permits for small homeowner projects so residents can improve their homes without a quagmire of paperwork. An annual permit for routine commercial maintenance, so office buildings don’t fall into disrepair waiting on bureaucracy. Accelerated concierge-like permitting for affordable housing so families can move into a home they can afford without years of delay.
And we’re just getting started. This year, we’ll roll out integrated, cloud-based software across all departments. Whether you’re renovating your home, opening a small business, or relocating your company to Miami, getting the answers and permits you need will be faster and easier. Expanded virtual inspections will make final approvals quick and convenient, and zoning enhancements will make it easier to build starter homes on small lots that look beautiful, not boxy.
A more resilient Miami starts with how we handle water and waste. This year, we will complete or begin neighborhood drainage projects from Shorecrest to Flagami, because a changing climate demands that we prepare now, not later. Our community composting pilot program will expand, giving more residents the chance to keep food scraps out of landfills and turn them into nutrient-rich soil for parks and gardens.
Miami’s parks are neighborhood anchors that strengthen community, wellness, resilience, and opportunity, places where residents gather to play, sit in the shade, swim, and stay active. The City has a strong track record of upgrading parks, from athletic facilities to aquatic centers, and that work continues this year with new community centers, kayak launches, riverwalks, volleyball courts, an adaptive park to serve children of all abilities, and more.
Culture and art bring community together, and this year residents will return to historic arthouses like the Olympia and Tower Theaters, and see real progress at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, spaces where Miami’s culture will continue to live and thrive.
World-class cities are defined by their commitment to public safety, and Miami’s police officers and firefighters have earned that standard. Miami Fire-Rescue holds the nation’s highest possible public protection rating, and Miami Police continue to invest in community-based policing paired with the latest technology, a combination that has driven crime to record lows.
Our first responders deserve facilities that match the level of service they provide, and too many of the buildings they work in are past their useful life or in dire need of repair. That’s why the Commission voted to bring the Safe and Ready Miami ballot question to residents, which, if approved, would generate the resources for renovation, expansion, or rebuilding of police and fire-rescue infrastructure for the long term. Keeping you safe, now and long into the future, is this City’s top priority.
In closing, I look forward to working with the Commission and City employees as we spend resources responsibly, with a budget focused on stronger neighborhoods, safer communities, and better service. I am optimistic about what we can achieve together.
Eileen Higgins, Mayor