Monday, August 17, 2009

Where is the City's 2010 budget?

Mayor Manny Diaz's administration has not yet come up with a budget for next year. At last week's emergency budget workshop, the city commissioners had nothing to work with. It was all a big waste of time. Another waste of taxpayer dollars, holding a meeting so they could twiddle their thumbs.

Many feel that the mayor is bitter about the commission voting down his plans for Miami 21. The two commissioners responsible are both running for mayor in November. Is the current mayor trying to sabotage the new mayor (either Tomás Regalado or Joe Sanchez, both who voted no on the Miami 21 plan and both running for mayor?) I think it is just a matter of a budget shortfall of $118 million and that's a sticky wicket and will take some time to figure out.

Unfortunately the true colors of Mayor Diaz's legacy are finally coming out. And they aren't green (he likes to be known as the "green mayor," has he ever done anything "green?") There isn't even any green in the treasury at this point. It's empty. His legacy is the failure of Miami 21, the deep financial hole he is leaving the city in, the overpaid city salaries and pensions and the overbuilt downtown area, full of empty condos.

I would say, "How the mighty have fallen," but I never felt his administration was mighty.


Public hearings for the proposed budget will be held September 10, and the final budget hearing is scheduled for September 24.

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