Miami-Dade Commissioners last week gave their final approval for an ordinance that could turn over control of the special taxing districts to municipalities where residents pay additional taxes to the county to maintain their areas and protect them from crime.
Commissioners Sally Heyman and Esteban Bovo Jr. sponsored the measure, which would go before voters in November 2016 to determine if they want their cities to take charge of the special taxing districts for street lighting repairs, security guard gates, road side cleaning, beach parks and canal maintenance.
The Town of Miami Lakes has special taxing districts for street lighting and guard gates in several communities.
The ballot proposal goes hand-in-hand with the request of residents in Lake Patricia and Lake Hilda for special taxing districts to maintain their neighborhood lakes.
County Commissioners last month approved an ordinance to establish a special taxing district for the lake maintenance in the two communities after residents collected enough signatures from their neighbors to allow the county to maintain the cleanliness and appearance of their lake.
A majority of residents living in the two neighborhoods must approve of the new taxing district on the November 2016 ballot.
If both referendums pass, Miami Lakes could take over control and management of all the special taxing districts within the town.
According to the county’s figures, the combined annual costs of the district’s lake maintenance services for the initial maintenance program for Lake Hilda were estimated at $22,7243 ($202.85 per lot) for the first year and $11,634 ($103.88 per lot) for the second year.
For Lake Patricia, the fees were estimated at $22,144.57 ($303.35 per lot) for the first year, and $10,423.98 ($142.79 per lot) for the second year.
Earlier this year, the county’s special taxing districts were facing a $2 million budget deficit due to a flawed accounting system that led to under billing and raised the fees to offset the shortfall.
The new rate would generate an additional $4.3 million in 2016, which is 35 percent more than the $11.9 million that residents in the special taxing districts would owe without the new fees, county officials said. The rate increase for Miami Lakes was modest, about $100 more for the average property, the county said.
The residents of Loch Lomond bill stayed the same at $2,241 per property, while the area known as Miami Lakes Section One saw an increase from $272.66 to $361.17, and Royal Oaks Section One guard district experienced a hike from $651.78 to $748.70. The Royal Oaks East guard gate district saw an increase from $709.48 to $823.16.