Doug Hanks
@doug_hanks
Doug Hanks covers Miami-Dade County for The Miami Herald. [email protected]
After five years in office, the 2026 budget is the most contentious moment yet for @MayorDaniella in terms of direct criticism from elected officials.
Despite the huge challenges we face, my administration has balanced our budget—protecting vital services like public safety, transit & libraries, while keeping the tax rate low. I pledge to put our residents first by protecting your tax dollars & delivering the services you need.
New: The A3 Foundation deal is all but dead. @MayorDaniella told Loud and Live today she won’t be signing contract with a $250K yearly payout to the charity that’s been quietly collecting county money for CountryFest while lining up nearly $1M from Fla. miamiherald.com/news/local/com…
Residents are weighing in on the future of #Brownsville as #MiamiDade launches a major redevelopment plan for Annie Coleman housing. Backed by a $500K HUD grant, the effort sparks hope and fears of gentrification and displacement. miamitimesonline.com/news/local/thi… #AffordableHousing #HUD
A foundation started in late 2023 with no known track record & run by a top aide to Miami's city manager has collected more than $900K from Miami-Dade-- apparently bc it's a pass-thru for tax dollars the county spends on Tropical Park's CountryFest miamiherald.com/news/local/com…
Will Miami-Dade and its Democratic mayor be a target here, too? Prop-tax revenues are growing in Miami even with rates cut slightly over the last couple of years. Bulk of county prop taxes go to sheriff, jails, Jackson hospital and MDFR.
Counties and cities should be accountable to the taxpayers they serve. They should NOT be treating their citizens like a piggy bank for bloated budgets. I was proud to travel with @GovRonDeSantis to announce our @DOGEFLA audit of Broward County and City of Gainesville spending.…
LGBTQ PRIDE PROBE: Florida’s statewide prosecutor has subpoenaed records of a popular restaurant after it hosted an LGBTQ Pride event last month that the prosecutor’s office says was open to all ages. local10.com/news/politics/…
The decision by Miami-Dade Tax Collector @darielfernandez to fund his office by retaining 2% of the county's property-tax revenue means a $2.6M hit to the Library budget, which is funded by a special property tax.
Miami-Dade libraries check out about 5 million materials -- books, audiobooks, movies etc-- per year. And about 700K-800K people log onto wifi at county libraries a year
Must Read
Contracts reveal the big business of building and operating Alligator Alcatraz miamiherald.com/news/local/imm…
JUST IN: Xavier Suarez, the first Cuban-born mayor of Miami and the father of the city’s current mayor, announced Monday that he plans to file to run for mayor. miamiherald.com/news/local/com…
Miami-Dade @Sheriff_Rosie elevates advisor Mark Rosenberg, a rabbi and longtime police chaplain, to lead a new “Execution Management Team” to oversee implementation of “key initiatives” at MDSO.
Calling all superfans! Geek out, create and connect over anime and manga this Wednesday, July 23 at 4 p.m. at the Arcola Lakes Branch Library. We’re turning the library into your ultimate fandom hub! spr.ly/60104r22G
Just updated this story to add info on county tax dollars already awarded to the A3 Foundation, on top of the yearly funding stream from the new Tropical Park contract set to mean millions in revenue for the charity formed in 2023. miamiherald.com/news/local/com…
A new foundation just secured $250K a year from a Miami-Dade contract at Tropical Park. The head of the charity is a top official in the city of Miami's government. miamiherald.com/news/local/com…