Annual State of the City Address

As your Mayor, it is with great pride and gratitude that I share the State of our City with you this evening.

Since our inception in 2003, the City of Miami Gardens has made remarkable strides and together, as a community, we have built a foundation for sustained growth, innovation, and opportunities for everyone. I want to pay homage to our matriarch and first Mayor, Shirley Gibson for helping to establish the city, along with the many others who supported that effort. We are carrying out a vision shared by the residents of this community. A vision that was articulated and began under the leadership of our second mayor, Oliver Gilbert III.

He and I served together on this dais, representing and working to make this City a great place to live, work and play. A place we all, are proud to call home. I stand on the shoulders of our former mayors, carrying forth the responsibility, and honor of serving the residents of the beautiful City of Miami Gardens, for a second term.

Since becoming Mayor in 2020, the City's taxable value has increased 60%, with nearly 42% of that growth attributable to investments in new construction. Over 2,000 units of new residential housing have come online in the last 2 years in the City of Miami Gardens, along with nearly 4 million square feet of light industrial, commercial space anticipated to add over 3,000 jobs in the City.

In the last two years, the City has spent approximately $26 million in improving its park infrastructure; and over $36 million in road and drainage improvement projects. We understand that public infrastructure projects drive private development! For every $1 of public investment that we have made in our City, we have generated $30 of private investment. The $62 million spent in the last 2 years in the City of Miami Gardens has driven over $900 million of planned, private sector projects in the City. That is a result of our City administration's leadership, experience and expertise. As you all know, we have the best Charter Officers in the country!

I want to share my public appreciation to the leadership of our City Manager, Cameron Benson and his staff. To our renowned City Attorney, Sonja Dickens and to City Clerk, Mario Bataille, we appreciate your support each and every day, and I value your commitment to the residents of this great City.

Over the past several years, we have made a number of decisions to spur economic development, and grow the City's infrastructure through policy changes, and by acting indirectly, as a development partner through public investment. We established the Entertainment Overlay District in an effort to revitalize commercial centers in our City. Additionally, we have since added the Business Transitional Overlay District to encourage redevelopment of underutilized properties and to encourage the consolidation of parcels that individually, may not be developable. Lastly, the establishment of the Performing Arts, Civic and Entertainment District (PACE) will allow the greatest flexibility in design and development of the site located behind City Hall.

In July of this year, we broke ground on the 35-acre site that will become our new City Center and transform the landscape of the NW 27th Avenue Corridor. This project is valued at over $400 million and is located within the Entertainment Overlay District. The development will include hotels, a Formula One museum, multi-family apartments, and entertainment facilities in the heart of Miami Gardens. The City Center will further boost our local economy and provide much needed amenities and recreational activities for our families to enjoy, right here in Miami Gardens. We are on track to develop our very own state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, which will be a hub for cultural and artistic performances and productions in our community.

Next week, on December 18th at 10 a.m., we will break ground on another major project - Derby Pointe Logistics Center, valued at $300 million, this development will be the home of Class A warehouse distribution buildings and will also benefit the Lake Lucerne community by providing an extension of the NW 22nd Avenue right-of-way to improve the north-south circulation in and out of the neighborhood.

These opportunities are paving the way for economic security and upward mobility for our residents. Our commitment to fiscal responsibility remains steadfast. In September, the City passed a balanced operating budget of over $160 Million, ensuring financial stability while delivering critical services to our community.

I am pleased to report for the 12th consecutive year we have kept our millage rate at 6.9363. The City's certified taxable value, provided by the Property Appraiser's Office in July 2024, was $8.75 Billion. This reflects an increase of 10.93% from fiscal year 2024. Currently, the City of Miami Gardens has over $50 million in our reserves account. We are proud to maintain strong bond ratings such as "AA-" with S&P Global, "Aa3" with Moody's Investors Service and "AA" with Fitch Ratings, affirming our ability to manage resources wisely and plan appropriately for the future.

Under our General Obligation Bond program, we continue to make progress on the renovations and upgrades at our parks, enhancing green spaces and recreational facilities for all residents. This year, we opened Brentwood Park and the much-anticipated regional park facility - Rolling Oaks Park. These spaces now join the list of vibrant spaces we have in the City of Miami Gardens for relaxation, connection, and activity to further enrich the lives of our community members. Earlier today, we broke ground on Scott Park. We are approximately 75% completed with all our GOB projects and this is a testament to our commitment to this community.

The City of Miami Gardens has established itself as a premier destination for world-class events and sports. From hosting multiple Super Bowl Championships, the Miami Tennis Open, Formula One and a number of large-scale concerts to supporting our local teams.

These activities have brought global attention and publicity to our City and significantly contributed to our economy through the support received by our local businesses. Coming up in 2026, we will once again be on the global stage as one of the host cities of FIFA World Cup Soccer and the NCAA Championship Game.

As we reflect on our accomplishments, we must also focus on the opportunities ahead. We will continue to innovate with programming and services for residents of all ages and we will invest in sustainable growth, while prioritizing the well-being of our community. Together, we will ensure that Miami Gardens remains a place where dreams are realized, opportunities flourish, and our community thrives.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the Council, my Charter Officers and our staff who work diligently every day towards making this City a great place to live, work and play.

Thank you for your continued trust, your partnership, and your unwavering commitment to making Miami Gardens the remarkable place it is today.

I am proud to report that the State of our City is strong, and together, we will achieve even greater heights.

Thank you again, and I wish everyone a wonderful holiday!

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