Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says she doesn’t foresee any change in plans for big toll increases on the Rickenbacker Causeway — but also says air rescue services won’t be impacted by a budget line shift that has drawn some criticism from fire union officials.
Key Biscayne depends on helicopters for emergencies, especially in cases where Rickenbacker traffic would jeopardize a medical patient’s health in transport to a hospital. Sometimes, fire rescue units have had to drive in the wrong lane to race to destinations.
On tolls, Levine Cava’s budget would cause resident annual plan tolls to triple from $24 to $72 under the 2026 budget coming up for a first vote Thursday. The regular toll would rise $1 to $3.25.
“Some of them are quite low,” Levine Cava said in response to a question from the Independent on Monday. “These are basically subsidized for the residents and the workers on Key Biscayne so we do think it’s a reasonable increase.”
The County is looking at ways to close a $402 million budget shortfall to meet the requirement of a balanced budget, which Levine Cava has blamed largely on unfunded mandates imposed by the state for new Constitutional offices, such as the new Sheriff’s department, and what she called a “perfect storm” of slowing property tax growth and cuts in federal and state grants.
But Levine Cava said one thing that won’t be affected is the cost of air rescue services to Key Biscayne, even though there is a funding change in her proposed budget.
A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter crew lands in Crandon Park in Key Biscayne during an exercise, March 20, 2019 (KBI Photo/Tony Winton)
Currently, the helicopter emergency service is paid from the general budget. Instead, she would fund the choppers from a separate fire tax that four municipalities — including Key Biscayne — don’t pay. That’s because those residents pay to fund their own fire departments.
The air rescue line item is about $28 million, but the mayor said Monday there is no thought of trying to get Key Biscayne or other cities to pony up.
”We have mutual aid agreements with all of our cities that are not part of the fire district. They come to our aid and we come to theirs,” the mayor said.
Indeed, Key Biscayne police and fire personnel often respond outside village borders to emergency calls with both land and marine units. The Village has a standing interlocal agreement with the City of Miami for fire-rescue backup.
“We all help each other. We don’t have to transfer payments like in a hospital to see if you’re insured, Levine Cava explained. “We’re not sending out bills.“
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Miami, a former Miami-Dade mayor and fire official, criticized the budget maneuver, saying it would sap dollars needed for other fire department services. But Levine Cava said her administration has improved fire funding. Gimenez has asked County commissioners to push back on the budget change.
Levine Cava defended her budget.
“We’ve increased by 10% the fire rescue teams. We’ve opened 21 new units, where we’ve already opened one new station and others are in process. So these are dollars that are available in our fire district to cover a fire district service, which is our rescue helicopters.”
Messages left with William McAllister, the fire union president, were not returned.
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.
