SPTX RATES - INCREASE STREET LIGHTING

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-07-21 · ordinance

Ordinance approving, adopting and ratifying non-ad valorem assessment rolls, rates and assessments for 219 certain street lighting special taxing districts in Miami-Dade County, Florida for fiscal year October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The ordinance was adopted on final action on July 21, 2026, after being deferred from June 16, 2026 and June 2, 2026, and adopted on first reading on May 5, 2026. The total assessment for these 219 districts is $1,984,910, covering 24,890 folios, of which 23,565 folios are increasing by less than $50.00 for the year. The ordinance is needed to collect non-ad valorem assessments placed on the 2026 real property tax bills. The rate increases are necessary to cover utility rate increases approved by the Public Service Commission and contractual inflationary costs. Some districts have depleted developer deposits or carryover, and proposed rates represent the districts' true operational and administrative cost. Failure to approve rates may result in suspension of services or accrued interest applied for lack of payment to the utility company. The Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department (PROS) determined that services will offer special benefits to properties within each district, exceeding the amount of special assessments to be levied. The ordinance includes provisions for the assessments to constitute a special assessment lien on real property, collection in the same manner as ad valorem taxes, and delivery of the assessment roll to the Finance Director within 30 days of the effective date. The ordinance becomes effective ten days after enactment unless vetoed by the Mayor. The item was requested by Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces. The legislative history shows the Board of County Commissioners adopted the ordinance on July 21, 2026, with a pass/fail status of P. The ordinance was deferred on June 16, 2026 and June 2, 2026, and adopted on first reading on May 5, 2026. The staff recommendation is to approve the ordinance. The fiscal impact is countywide but only for homeowners within the boundaries of one or more special taxing districts. The County is responsible for 1,103 active special taxing districts, of which 957 are street lighting districts. The special assessments are levied on a front-footage basis for street lighting services. The ordinance references Exhibit A for legal descriptions, units of measurement, and assessment amounts, but the document text does not list the specific districts or their locations. Public comment or stakeholder sentiment is not stated in the document text beyond the general statement that a public hearing was conducted and written objections and testimony from interested persons were received, but no specific comments are detailed.