Community groups raise concerns over potential budget cuts being considered by Miami-Dade

Several groups gathered outside City Hall to raise concerns over possible cuts made to key services in the mayor s proposed budget for Miami-Dade County With signs in hand and a message to deliver residents and local district groups gathered outside City Hall on Thursday to bring attention to budget cuts made to essential services in Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava s proposed budget plan for and We must put people over profit and make this budget reflect the values of the people of Miami-Dade stated Maria Llorens the protocol and research director for Miami Workers Center We re in this huge emergency right where people can t find an affordable place to live matter of life and death announced Rachel Prestipino from Catalyst Miami an organization originally founded by Levine Cava in which strives to find solutions for low-income communities throughout Miami-Dade The locality gathering happened just hours before commissioners were scheduled to meet for the first citizens meeting discussing the proposed budget plan County commissioners are expected to cast their votes on what will remain in the budget plan and what could be removed Social services is really where I ve come from and it breaks my heart that we ve had to cut budgets for a large number of who have come to rely upon county establishment so we were grateful we were able to restore specific of the funding stated Levine Cava and I m really pleased that a number of commissioners have come up with chosen methods to bring in new revenue We need new revenue In an effort to combat the county s million deficit the mayor cut major funding from nonprofit organizations last month including Catholic charities arts programs general transportation senior citizens encouragement and emergency air rescue services Members from the organizations largest part impacted by the cuts are now pleading for the funds to be restored We re gonna be demanding full funding from the eviction diversion scheme that s an additional million We re gonna be demanding a stop to the transit fare increases We re gonna be asking to fund the legal defense fund which multiple immigrants rely on and to fully fund the Office of Housing Advocacy commented Prestipino Meanwhile the mayor restored around million that was originally cut from her initial proposal Levine Cava explained she intends to either fully or partially fund programs and services like citizens safety roads parks and transportation We ve consolidated departments so we ve saved funds that way We ve reduced salaries we ve cut positions and we ve done various a large number of things to cut red tape as well so all of that saves money so it s a combination of savings and specific additional revenues she disclosed As Thursday s meeting continues into the evening hundreds of residents are expected to voice their concerns in the budget battle The Miami-Dade Commission is expected to hold another general meeting and vote on the budget on Sept