Short-Term Solution

How Long Can You Rent Your Miami Beach Home?

The City May Finally Decide

More Appearances Prohibited

Former Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Góngora Again Finds Himself in the Ethics Ordinance Spotlight — But Is It All a Big Misunderstanding?

Trash Talking

Hi-Tech Program Offers North Miami Residents Financial Incentive to Recycle

August 21, 2008

Temporary Cease-Fire?

Five City Fire Unions Extinguish County Efforts to Take Over Their Departments — for Now

By Ben Torter

Barring a cigar smoke-filled backroom coup, the Miami-Dade County Commission has come to an agreement that will end a firefight that has been raging since July.

The settlement, which is likely on its way to the November ballot, allows the cities of Coral Gables, Hialeah, Key Biscayne, Miami and Miami Beach to keep control of their fire departments, but prevents cities serviced by the county from breaking away and contracting fire services from neighboring cities.

“As I’ve stated before, I don’t think we’d be in this position had it not been for certain municipalities, who in the past have tried to really poach — tried to really get some of our more wealthy cities to provide services to them to the detriment of the Miami-Dade Fire District,” said Commissioner Dennis Moss, the sponsor of the proposal, during a Sept. 2 discussion.

Fire union leaders in the five municipalities see the agreement as a victory for their own autonomy, and say it proves a point they’ve been making all along.

Continued

In the Blog: BREAKING NEWS Update on the County Commission Vote