Miami-Dade County

Democracy in Action

Your Vote on a Few County and City Ballot Questions May Be More Important Than You Think

By Angie Hargot

In addition to electing officials to serve as mayor, county commissioners, state House representatives, judges and political party executives, Miami-Dade voters will decide ballot questions on Aug. 26 that will shape the future of a few of the county’s biggest issues — green space, cultural programming and children’s services. Although largely noncontroversial, these items are likely to have lasting outcomes.

One question will determine the fate of the Children’s Trust, which funds programs and services for children and their families using local tax dollars. The trust was established via a 2002 countywide referendum that contained a “sunset provision” requiring it to be reapproved by voters.

“The question will determine the future existence of the Children’s Trust,” said the organization’s communications manager, Emily Cardenas. “The Trust was originally created with a finite time period to determine if we’ve earned [the taxpayers’] trust.”

If passed again, the Children’s Trust will become permanent.

The Trust was created with the goal of funding programs to improve the lives of children, such as safety and anti-violence programs, health care services, after-school and summer programs, and parenting initiatives “benefiting 50,000 children a year in after-school programming alone” in Miami-Dade County, said Cardenas, who estimates the organization has already helped tens of thousands of families.

Funded through property taxes, the Trust’s revenue for fiscal year 2007-08 was roughly $99.3 million, collected from a tax rate of 42 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property value. If voters reapprove it, the Children’s Trust tax rate could not exceed the state-authorized maximum of 50 cents per $1,000 of value. The figure translates to roughly $60 per year for the median taxpayer.

Cardenas said that in addition to funding and providing “65 new schools with health teams, including nurses and social workers, in just two years,” the organization created the countywide 211 help line, a child resource and referral service available 24 hours a day in three languages. The Trust also works to “improve the quality of childcare centers, invest in programming in the arts, education, literacy, and drug and teen pregnancy prevention,” she said.

“Before the Children’s Trust, there was no institution” that focused only on children and families, Cardenas added. “With all the [budget] cuts today, the Children’s Trust is the last and final hope that they have,” she said, adding that the ballot item has encountered no organized opposition.

“Even those traditionally anti-tax, like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, have signed on,” Cardenas said. “We’ve been very fortunate.”

Another ballot question is a referendum item that would essentially allow the county to swap the location for a new permanent community arts center from Tamiami Park to Tropical Park, located at 7900 S.W. 40th St. in Miami.

The county, according to the ballot item, seeks to “increase community participation in, and appreciation of, diverse cultural arts and recreation programs … by creating cultural arts programming space, exhibition space and performance space,” but, according to the county charter, must seek approval for major construction in county parks.

“It’s really just a housecleaning item,” said county spokesperson Victoria Mallette. “Commissioner [Javier] Souto was an advocate for moving the arts center to Tropical Park — it was originally in Tamiami, and, as far as I understand, Commissioner [Joe] Martinez had no objections.”

Martinez did not return calls in time for deadline.

Souto’s support of the move isn’t surprising — the parks in his district boast few cultural arts venues, and the new 300-seat facility will be equipped to house music, dance and theater events.

Voters originally approved funding for the center as part of 2004’s General Obligation Bond question. Tuesday’s vote won’t raise taxes, according to a press release issued by Souto’s staff, which cites the burgeoning growth of neighboring Florida International University and the Dade County Youth Fair, which already calls Tamiami Park home, as reasons for the move.

Miami Beach voters will be asked to determine how easily their elected officials can rezone parks to allow developments, among other uses.

The charter amendment would require a unanimous vote of the City Commission to redesignate “Recreation Open Space” to anything other than a “public facility” or educational public facility.

Currently, a rezoning can be approved by five of the seven commissioners.

“It’s about protecting green space within the city,” said Commissioner Richard Steinberg, the question’s sponsor.

“For years there had been rumors” of rezonings of public green spaces, including La Gorce Country Club and city-owned golf courses, Steinberg said. To secure their protection, he pushed for the ballot item. The measure has, so far, encountered no opposition.

Comments? E-mail angie@miamisunpost.com