But we do have a bunch of young people out there. Can we try to get them in the back of the room? Today I present my fiscal year 2026 to 27 budget for Miami-Dade County. I want to acknowledge the presence of Tomas Regalado, our property appraiser, who's joined us here today. And he just informed me that his very fiscally conservative budget was just approved by the Department of Revenue. So kudos to you, sir. And we are very grateful because we've worked very collaboratively with the property appraiser and his budget is very much in line with what we need for all of our departments and our independent offices as well during these fiscally constrained times. So every year presenting a balanced budget is one of my most important responsibilities as your mayor. This year, this comes at a time when families across our community are continuing to feel the pressure of higher housing costs, insurance premiums, groceries, and everyday expenses. And everyone, we are all making difficult decisions about household budgets every single day. And so county government also should approach our budget with the same sense of responsibility and care as our families must do each and every day. Since my first year in office as your mayor, I have held over 60 community meetings across the county to discuss our budget and to get public input. Those conversations have helped to shape this proposal and they reinforced what our residents have consistently told us that matters most to them. Safe communities, of course, housing that they can afford, reliable transportation, quality parks and libraries, resilient infrastructure, and a government that manages their tax dollars responsibly. Residents trust us to manage their tax dollars wisely. And every decision in this budget reflects that responsibility. Over the past several years, we have worked hard to keep costs low for the taxpayers. With the support of the county commission, we've reduced the operating budget property tax rate. We've reduced the property tax rate twice, bringing it to its lowest level since 1982. And this year, we're keeping that operating property tax flat. That wasn't an easy choice, but it was a deliberate one. And at the same time, the fiscal environment has changed. Revenue growth is slowing in the county. Inflation continues to rise. Support from our state and federal partners has become less certain. And the cost of providing health care has increased for our government, just as it has for our employers nationwide. And these realities demand good judgment, not just business as usual, but rethinking how we operate as a county government. So instead of asking taxpayers to shoulder more of the burden, we challenged ourselves to continue finding efficiencies, innovating service delivery, and managing county resources responsibly. I've always believed in truth in budgeting. That's the first step in this process. And so our budget for this coming year is organized around five priorities. Healthy and safe communities. An economy that works for everyone. Fiscal responsibility and efficiency. Investments and infrastructure. Risk reduction and resilience. Those are the five pillars of our budget and our county priorities. This presents a balanced, responsible, resident-focused financial plan for the next five years. It keeps the tax rate flat. It protects the health and safety services. It takes steps to control costs as revenues decline and as inflation increases. And the county prepares for the potential impact of property tax reform on the ballot in November. So how did we balance this budget? Doing so required continued fiscal discipline, especially as growth in our property values has returned to more moderate levels. And the cost of providing services continues to rise for government, just as the cost of living is rising for all of our residents. I've prioritized investments in public safety, parks, and public transportation while continuing to direct county departments under my purview to tighten their belts, stretch every dollar, and to hold expenditure growth at 3%, a very conservative figure that requires cuts because inflation means that the actual rise in costs is much higher. We're also asking our departments to continue implementing efficiency initiatives through our WISE 305 program, my initiative to deliver an even more efficient and cost-effective government for our residents. So fiscal discipline comes first. Our work is producing real results. Through our WISE 305, departments have identified more than $42 million in efficiencies. And this budget also includes another $79 million in reductions identified by our staff to help prepare us for a more constrained fiscal future. We've eliminated more than 400 vacant positions from general fund departments. We've slowed hiring where appropriate. We've improved overtime management. And we've carefully reviewed spending across all of our departments. We have to support our constitutional offices as well. So that same approach guided our work with the constitutional officers. And these offices provide essential services that our residents rely upon each and every day. So this budget provides more than $66 million in additional funding above last year's operating budget to support the work of the constitutionals. At the same time, we're all working from the same general fund. It's the same pot of money from which we must draw. And that is the portion of our budget that is funded by property taxes. So we are facing the same fiscal realities across Miami-Dade County government and across the five constitutional offices. So just as county departments are finding efficiencies, we're asking our constitutional offices to do their part. We're going to continue to work collaboratively with each of the offices to bring forward a balanced budget that aligns with our available general fund. Our recommendations provide meaningful increases while remaining grounded in fiscal responsibility and historical spending trends that ensure we're all able to meet the constitutional requirements of those offices. We're also preparing with this budget for the uncertain future of county government and constitutionals due to the possibility of property tax reform. Everybody wants taxes to remain affordable, and so do I. And that's why my administration delivered two consecutive operating property tax cuts, and we're holding it flat again this year. But good judgment also means planning for uncertainty. And so while the future of statewide property tax remains unknown at this time, it would be irresponsible to not prepare for what those changes could mean for the services that our residents rely upon every day. Property taxes support public safety, our parks, our libraries, transit, animal services, community programs, Jackson Health, and so much more. And under the proposal currently being discussed, Miami-Dade County could lose an estimated $385.8 million in the first year alone, which is more than 10% of our general fund. And that loss would grow to nearly $697 million in the second year. This would mean inevitably cuts to critical services such as parks, fire, rescue, libraries, and transportation. We'll continue to provide clear information about the potential impacts of those proposals so that voters can make informed decisions as they vote in November. Now let's talk about transit. Public transportation remains one of my highest priorities because it connects people to jobs, to education, to health care, and to opportunity. And that is why this budget increases general fund support for transit by $66 million, which brings our total county support to nearly $336 million just for transit. And even with that investment, transit faces long-term funding challenges. They are made worse by recent state budget cuts that have led to reductions in dedicated revenues for transit. The People's Transportation Plan, which is the half-penny tax, has been reduced following the loss of $25 million commercial rent tax decrease. So a $25 million commercial rent tax decrease reduced the amount of money coming in to the People's Transportation Plan. So our proposal this year includes targeted service adjustments that are focused primarily on lower ridership early morning and late evening services while protecting our special transportation services, our Metro Connect, and avoiding a fare or fuel tax increase. These are very difficult recommendations, and they'll be part of the public conversation, I know, over the coming weeks. My administration will be tackling these challenges head-on by exploring all of the options to build a transit system that's reliable and sustainable for the long term. We need to do that to continue our transit system. So what's next? Today's presentation is just the beginning of the conversation. Over the coming weeks, we're going to continue to meet with our residents throughout Miami-Dade. We're going to listen to their feedback through budget meetings in August before the budget hearings in September. However, this budget reflects the kind of judgment that residents expect from their county government. It protects essential services. It respects the taxpayers, and it stretches every dollar for maximum benefit, and it prepares responsibly for the future. Despite the fiscal challenges that we're navigating, I remain incredibly optimistic about where Miami-Dade is headed. Our community continues to attract new businesses, new investments, and talented people from around the world who are choosing to build their futures here. They come here because Miami-Dade is a place of opportunity, innovation, resilience, and extraordinary beauty and diversity. So I look forward to working with our Board of County Commissioners, with our constitutional officers, our county employees, our residents, so that we can deliver a budget that reflects those shared values and keeps Miami-Dade moving forward. And now in Spanish. Buenas tardes y gracias a todos por estar. Hoy tengo el honor, como alcaldesa del condado de Miami-Dade, de presentar mi presupuesto propuesto para el año fiscal 2026 hasta 2027. Presentar un presupuesto balanceado es una de mis responsabilidades más importantes como alcaldesa. Sabemos que muchas familias siguen enfrentando altos costos de vivienda, seguros, alimentos y otros gastos. Por eso, el gobierno del condado debe administrar cada dólar con la misma responsabilidad. Durante los últimos años, hemos escuchado a miles de residentes y este presupuesto refleja sus prioridades. Comunidades seguras, comunidades seguras, viviendas asequibles, buen transporte, parques, bibliotecas y un gobierno responsable. En los últimos años, hemos trabajado para ofrecer alivio a los contribuyentes. Con el apoyo de la Comisión, bajamos la tasa de impuesto a la propiedad dos veces y este año lo mantenemos sin cambios. Al mismo tiempo, los ingresos crecen más lentamente, la inflación continúa y los costos siguen aumentando. Por eso, seguimos buscando eficiencias y administrando los recursos con responsabilidad. Este presupuesto tiene cinco prioridades. Comunidades saludables y seguras. Una economía que funciona para todos. Responsabilidad fiscal, inversión en infraestructura, reducción de riesgos y resiliencia. Es un presupuesto responsable que mantiene estable la tasa de impuestos, protege los servicios esenciales y prepara al condado para el futuro. Valenciar este presupuesto requirió disciplina. Disciplina, protegemos inversiones en seguridad pública, parques y transporte, mientras pedimos a todos los departamentos controlar sus gastos a un 3%, una figura que requiere cortes de esos departamentos. También seguimos impulsando WISE 305 para hacer el gobierno más eficiente. Ese esfuerzo ya está dando resultados. WISE 305 ha identificado más de 42 millones de dólares en ahorros que nos ayudarán a balancear el presupuesto este año siguiente. Además, encontramos otros 79 millones en reducciones, eliminamos más de 400 plazas vacantes y seguimos revisando cuidadosamente todos nuestros gastos. También seguimos apoyando a las oficinas constitucionales que prestan servicios esenciales a la comunidad. Ese presupuesto incluye más de 66 millones de dólares adicionales para esas oficinas comparado al año pasado. Al mismo tiempo, todos compartimos la misma realidad fiscal y la misma responsabilidad de seguir buscando eficiencias. Seguiremos trabajando con cada oficina constitucional para lograr un presupuesto balanceado. Nuestra propuesta ofrece aumentos importantes, pero siempre dentro de los recursos disponibles y con responsabilidad fiscal. También debemos prepararnos para el futuro. Todos queremos que los impuestos sean asequibles. Yo también. Pero también tenemos que prepararnos para posibles cambios en los impuestos de la propiedad. La propuesta actual podría reducir los ingresos del Fondo General del Condado casi 386 millones de dólares en primer año y 696 millones en segundo año, afectando servicios como bomberos, parques, bibliotecas y transporte. Seguiremos informando a los residentes para que puedan tomar una decisión bien informada. El transporte público sigue siendo una prioridad. Este presupuesto aumenta el apoyo del Fondo General al Transporte en 66 millones de dólares. Aún así, enfrentamos retos financieros a largo plazo y hemos tomado decisiones difíciles para llegar al balance. Las rutas han sido reducidas por criterio de uso para mantener nuestros servicios de MetroConnect y STS sin aumentar la tarifa. Nuestra meta es mantener un sistema de transporte confiable y sostenible para el futuro. La conversación apenas comienza. En las próximas semanas seguiremos reuniéndonos con los residentes para escuchar sus comentarios antes de la aprobación final del presupuesto. Tengo mucha confianza en el futuro de nuestro condado y espero seguir trabajando con la Comisión, las oficinas constitucionales, nuestros empleados y nuestros residentes para aprobar un presupuesto responsable. Muchas gracias y quiero agradecer a nuestro Tomás Alcala de Property Appraiser porque su presupuesto, que es muy conservativo y razonable, fue aprobado por el Estado hoy. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. Gracias. All right. So we'll get started. If you have a question that's not related to the budget, go ahead and save it to the very end. We'll start with Steve here. Hold on. Ma'am, can you talk about what you cut? Thank you so much, Steve. So we mentioned the positions. There were vacancies that were eliminated. We mentioned the transit cuts that were to several routes the morning and evening, as well as elimination of a few of the low ridership routes. We also, through efficiencies, basically, we were able to accommodate through our WISE 305 programming, through reductions in use of overtime and corrections after our corrections facility ended the federal oversight, so now we're in very good standing. So these were ways that we were, a consolidation of departments and back office functions, we were able to do a lot of things to help bring down the cost so we did not have to make cuts that we thought would be substantial service reductions. Della, go ahead. Question? Mr. Tava, while you show, why not cut the position? That would help with the budget. And I'll ask the other thing, where do you plan on getting the money for the incinerator and for the new land, the fuel vehicle in Fisher Island? Okay, that's three different questions. Let me try to break it down. So all of our employees are valued. Our union employees are the majority, but our non-union employees as well, and each of them is paid according to the responsibilities of the job and the need to maintain and recruit and maintain our employees. As far as the costs for a waste-to-energy facility, obviously we've raised concerns as well. That will cost more. It's a fee-generated, user-based program, and it would require additional costs. And the port situation is a proprietary fund. It's handled within the expenses of the port. Yes. Well, I'll give you my best shot, and then if we need clarification, we'll call on Director Stacy Miller. So the TID, which is the increased value along the transportation corridors, is there to support transportation, and there's $96 million available in this year's account that we are proposing to use to help bridge some funding gaps. Our fare box does not cover expense of transit, as you know. It's about 88 cents on the dollar that we subsidize through general fund because we have a lot of free services and so on. So we are forced to make cuts in addition to drawing from the TID. And also, as we mentioned, state dollars were reduced, so that was another way that we helped to cover our transit costs. At this time, I believe there's how many routes that we are eliminating? No. That's how many we're reducing. How many are we eliminating? Okay. Oh, because some of them are the private routes. Okay. Here we go. Okay. So, 12 routes in total, out of how many? Hundreds. Six of them are county-operated routes. That's the number I was looking for. And six of them are contract-operated routes. So, we're also looking at early morning service before 5.59 a.m. on 44 routes and late evening service after 10.01 on 38 routes. So, that would be reducing service hours on four additional contract-operated routes. And those are 20? Yes. But six of them are the county-operated and six are the contract-operated. Are they? Yes, they are in the budget. Taking? We certainly remain open to increasing the transit fare and the gas tax. And these will be decisions that will be debated, I hope, at the commission to look at various alternatives. So, we do, in fact, run some routes through a private system. And we do that because we did not have the drivers or the buses at the time that we contracted for those routes. And when we do have them, we're obligated and it's desirable to bring them into, we don't want to leave our drivers sitting idle. So, they are operating the routes. We have employees that are doing a great job that we've trained and recruited and they're the best in the business. I have a question on the budget. We understand transit, but what else will be getting some attention, not CBOs this year? Where else should we look for austerity? Vacancies. Okay. So, that's a large number of vacancies, 400, that we've identified. Of course, we've done that surgically to maintain level of service. But that means, and most of these were positions that had been vacant for a while. So, we've obviously worked through various efficiencies that I described before to make it possible to reduce those positions. So, there, some of the, the commission has the advisory groups, some of which have been recommended that they cannot continue under the DEI legislation. It's not a significant number of positions. I think, unfortunately, that is true because it is so dependent upon not just general fund, but the part that the ridership contributes. The ridership has increased, and our South Dade Metro Express service has been very successful, has reduced travel time significantly, and we're seeing increased ridership there. But nonetheless, our fares are low compared to other major metropolitan areas, and we have a higher than other area public subsidy of those transit riders. So, we have, we carry more general fund responsibility than is typical for large metropolitan transit systems. I'll wait. You have two questions unrelated to the budgets? Yes. So, as you've no doubt heard, essentially the state has left the property and removed all of the infrastructure that they had built there and reinstated the sign. We're waiting for formal notification, but in the meantime we are evaluating impacts to the property from the airport perspective as well as from an environmental perspective, and we have requested a meeting as well to, to work through the details of transition. Yes. So, we're very interested in conserving this property. It is part of the footprint of Everglades and the National Preserve, and it needs to be maintained for the protection of our water system, the animals and plants that are unique to the Everglades, and so that is our intention to work together with state, federal, and other local authorities to find the best path forward to conserve the property. Last question. Mayor Cava. Well, I didn't hear the second part of your question, but the first part is we did not allow it. It's a private owner who, in fact, conducted his own transfer of the property, and I think if you read the news, there's been some good coverage by Doug Hanks and others. We were not invited to the table, and the property was sold without our ability to participate. Mayor, can you suggest one thing? Just looking at the numbers here, the budget's up a billion dollars. The operating budget is up 5%. It looks like the overall payroll is down 50%. Could the county not have cut more? The county is ready with austerity of this property. So, Doug, we obviously are not stopping our austerity measures. In the course of this year, you heard, we already found $79 million in savings. We are continuing. There's technological advances. There's streamlining of processes. There's consolidation of operations in various ways. We're not stopping. We're continuing. Should the property tax reform pass, obviously, we're going to have to make more severe cuts, and we are putting out as much information as we have now, and we'll be refining it so the public will know what will be cut should that pass. Thank you guys. Just real quick, does the property tax measure impact this fiscal budget? No, it would be the following year. Thank you all. And we do have a best part of a year, right? So, November, of course, our budget year starts October. Right. So, yes, we'll be working immediately to address it, should we need to. this is really good. It's true. I think it's better. Okay? It's better. It's better. I think it's better. I think, okay, okay, but then, on the next one, bye-bye. But it's another month, we'll be waiting to find the feedback. Well, before we get out, this maybe one of below, you'll be looking at an opportunity.