Miami Gardens residents agree to bond for special projects
By Lance Dixon
ldixon@MiamiHerald.com
After town hall meetings and public input, Miami Gardens voters agreed to support a $60 million general obligation bond issue for special projects.
Residents voted on the bond in a special mail-out ballot election, and it passed Monday with about 62 percent of the voters voting in favor of the referendum, according to unofficial results. Roughly 13 percent of the city’s 67,000 registered voters returned the ballots.
The $60 million is intended to be used to purchase new police equipment, renovate the city’s 18 parks, and build a new senior center and other facilities.
City leaders have provided scant details on how the bond money will be spent but have promised to involve the community as the effort moves forward.
“Today, our residents have spoken,” said Mayor Oliver Gilbert in a statement. “They’ve said that providing a safer community for our youth and improving the quality of life for our seniors is a priority.”
The bond will cost the average household in Miami Gardens about $46.28 per year, and will be paid out over the course of 25 years . That’s based on the city’s average taxable home value of about $34,000 after the homestead exemption.