Miami-Dade Reps: Defend Miami-Dade's Home Rule, Defeat HB 399
Once again, the Florida Legislature is trying to preempt, or seize, local control in Miami-Dade County. This one hurts more because it's one of our own. HB 399 by Rep. David Borrero would lower the voting threshold for comprehensive plan amendments to a simple majority, regardless of any special protections approved by Miami-Dade County voters for sensitive environmental or historic areas. The bill passed its Committees, which means Miami-Dade's development rules are at the mercy of state legislators from Pensacola, Orlando, and Tampa Bay. Do we want people with no stakes in our future meddling with local decisions in Miami-Dade?
The bill also orders a Florida agency to conduct a "study" to determine whether Miami-Dade's voter approved
Urban Development Boundary and nearly 20 similar county boundaries should remain in place, despite often overwhelming support from local voters.
This bill is also wasteful and duplicative. Miami-Dade County is already conducting a once every seven year review of its Comprehensive Development Master Plan that governs how and where we grow. Why? Because Florida requires, at county taxpayer expense, the review to make sure those rules serve us well. Ultimately, the County Commission will vote on proposed changes, and local residents and stakeholders can provide input- no travel to Tallahassee required. So why are we spending taxpayer dollars for Florida bureaucrats to conduct a parallel study into the same issues? (Maybe someone should tell Florida DOGE about this duplicative spending!) Let's see the results of the MDC process before rushing to study a "problem" which likely tees up heavy-handed, statewide preemption in Miami-Dade and many other counties.
Tallahassee has enough problems to worry about (hello, homeowner's insurance!?) without inserting itself into the details of how Florida's 67 counties and local communities make decisions. The good news is, there was bipartisan opposition from local Miami-Dade lawmakers to this overreach, with many voting against it in the State Affairs Committee. The Miami-Dade County BCC has a resolution opposing the bill. There seems to be little demand for this from the local population.
Members of the Miami-Dade Delegation, we don't need even more local authority stripped away. Oppose bringing HB 399 to the floor. Vote No if it arrives.
Urban Development Boundary and nearly 20 similar county boundaries should remain in place, despite often overwhelming support from local voters.
This bill is also wasteful and duplicative. Miami-Dade County is already conducting a once every seven year review of its Comprehensive Development Master Plan that governs how and where we grow. Why? Because Florida requires, at county taxpayer expense, the review to make sure those rules serve us well. Ultimately, the County Commission will vote on proposed changes, and local residents and stakeholders can provide input- no travel to Tallahassee required. So why are we spending taxpayer dollars for Florida bureaucrats to conduct a parallel study into the same issues? (Maybe someone should tell Florida DOGE about this duplicative spending!) Let's see the results of the MDC process before rushing to study a "problem" which likely tees up heavy-handed, statewide preemption in Miami-Dade and many other counties.
Tallahassee has enough problems to worry about (hello, homeowner's insurance!?) without inserting itself into the details of how Florida's 67 counties and local communities make decisions. The good news is, there was bipartisan opposition from local Miami-Dade lawmakers to this overreach, with many voting against it in the State Affairs Committee. The Miami-Dade County BCC has a resolution opposing the bill. There seems to be little demand for this from the local population.
Members of the Miami-Dade Delegation, we don't need even more local authority stripped away. Oppose bringing HB 399 to the floor. Vote No if it arrives.
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