Miami voters will decide this November whether to authorize $450 million in general obligation bonds to modernize the city’s aging police, fire-rescue and emergency-response infrastructure. We support Referendum 1 and recommend approving the bonds.
The proposal, known as Safe and Ready Miami, would provide $300 million for a new Public Safety Building and $150 million for fire-rescue facilities, including new stations and improvements to existing ones. The referendum caps the city’s capital-projects debt millage rate at its current 0.5935 mills and requires the bonds to be included in the city’s independent annual audit.
For Miami-Dade Democrats, the case for supporting the referendum is straightforward: Miami has put off critical investments in public-safety infrastructure for too long, and police officers, firefighters, paramedics and the residents they serve should not have to rely on facilities that are overcrowded, outdated or deteriorating.
Miami’s public-safety infrastructure has fallen behind
Miami Police Headquarters opened in 1976 and was designed for approximately 560 officers. Today, roughly 1,390 sworn personnel and another 400 employees work from the facility.
The building has experienced plumbing failures, flooding, unusable restrooms, roof leaks and outdated electrical systems.
Miami’s fire-rescue facilities face similar challenges. Eight of the city’s 17 fire-rescue stations are more than 50 years old, two are more than 60 years old, and some cannot properly accommodate modern emergency vehicles.
These are more than cosmetic problems. Police stations, fire stations, 911 communications centers and emergency-operations facilities are critical infrastructure behind the city’s emergency-response system.
A growing city needs facilities that can keep up
Miami has grown dramatically since many of these buildings were constructed, while its public-safety infrastructure has not always kept pace.
The bond would fund a new Public Safety Building bringing together Police Headquarters, Fire Department offices, 911 communications and emergency operations. It would also support new, replacement and modernized fire-rescue stations.
The proposed projects are intended to improve coverage in parts of the city with longer response times, including areas such as West Allapattah and Liberty Square.
The Miami-Dade Democratic Party believes investing in these facilities is an important part of ensuring that every neighborhood has access to effective emergency services. Where personnel and equipment are located can matter when minutes count.
Making the investment responsibly
Major public-safety facilities are expensive, but delaying necessary repairs and replacements can allow problems and costs to grow.
General obligation bonds allow the city to make major infrastructure investments and spread the cost over the useful life of facilities expected to serve Miami for decades.
According to Safe and Ready Miami, the estimated average cost is approximately $9.20 per month for a property valued at $423,020, although actual costs will depend on property values, interest rates, issuance timing and the final financing structure.
Importantly, the referendum limits the debt millage used to repay the bonds to the city’s current rate of 0.5935 mills.
Accountability matters
A $450 million public investment requires meaningful oversight.
The bonds would be included in the city’s independent annual audit. The city has also committed to public reporting that includes project status, expenditures, timelines and individual project budgets. Bond proceeds are restricted to the capital projects authorized by the referendum and cannot be used for routine operating expenses or salaries.
Those safeguards are an important part of why the Miami-Dade Democratic Party supports the proposal.
Why Miami-Dade Democrats support Referendum 1
Referendum 1 presents Miami voters with a choice about how the city addresses decades of aging public-safety infrastructure.
The Miami-Dade Democratic Party supports the referendum because modern police, fire-rescue, 911 and emergency-response facilities are essential public infrastructure. Replacing deteriorating facilities, improving emergency coverage and providing first responders with modern workplaces are investments in the safety and resilience of Miami’s neighborhoods.
The goal is not simply newer buildings. It is a public-safety system better equipped to serve residents and respond effectively when Miamians need help.
Voters who want to review the proposed projects, financing and additional details can visit SafeAndReadyMiami.com.
On the November 3 ballot, the measure will appear as:
Safe and Ready Miami: General Obligation Bonds for Police/Fire Facilities without Increasing Millage Rate
The choices are For Bonds or Against Bonds.
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