Miami-Dade Mayor restores arts funding, but only temporarily
By Joshua Ceballos
August 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM EDT
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has announced a major change to her proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, restoring arts and culture grant funding she previously sought to cut.
"Through diligent work to streamline operations, update revenue projections, and recover unspent funds, as well as continued collaboration with the Constitutional Officers and County Commission, we are able to restore important programs and services while protecting taxpayer dollars and strengthening our financial foundation for the future,” Cava wrote in a budget memo released late Tuesday.
Cava's proposed budget previously came under fire from Miami-Dade County commissioners and community members for cuts to offices like the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs, which would have ceased to exist under her previous proposal.
READ MORE: Miami cultural organizations reeling as budget cuts pose existential threat
The county faced a $400 million shortfall, which Cava's administration attributed to the end of pandemic-era COVID-19 funds from the federal government and the recent creation of new constitutional offices like the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department that need their own budgets.
The newly created independent Tax Collector's office has added more than 500 staff members and opened multiple new offices throughout the county, greatly expanding its taxpayer-funded budget.
In her latest memo, Cava said her office was able to find $65.8 million newly identified funds, including $33.2 million in unspent funds from Constitutional Offices from the current fiscal year, $6.6 million in additional departmental adjustments, and $26 million from the Tax Collector’s Office.
She specifically highlighted the restoration of arts funding and the maintenance of an independent Department of Arts and Culture.
"Residents asked us to protect arts and culture, community programs, parks, and essential services for our most vulnerable—and we listened,” she said. “At the same time, we are making smart investments in reserves and public safety to ensure Miami-Dade remains strong, safe, and financially resilient in the years ahead."
During a large community town hall meeting on Tuesday, the mayor said this funding is only temporary and not recurring, so arts funding may be cut again in a future budget cycle.
Other parts of Cava's proposed budget have come under fire from groups like the Miami-Dade County firefighters union. The union threatened to sue the county over a new requirement that fire rescue take on the full debt service costs for the air rescue helicopter unit — something the county previously reimbursed them for.
Cava's memo does not make mention of changes to air rescue funding. County officials are expected to come back and finalize the budget in September.
(2750x625, AR: 4.4)
"Through diligent work to streamline operations, update revenue projections, and recover unspent funds, as well as continued collaboration with the Constitutional Officers and County Commission, we are able to restore important programs and services while protecting taxpayer dollars and strengthening our financial foundation for the future,” Cava wrote in a budget memo released late Tuesday.
Cava's proposed budget previously came under fire from Miami-Dade County commissioners and community members for cuts to offices like the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs, which would have ceased to exist under her previous proposal.
READ MORE: Miami cultural organizations reeling as budget cuts pose existential threat
The county faced a $400 million shortfall, which Cava's administration attributed to the end of pandemic-era COVID-19 funds from the federal government and the recent creation of new constitutional offices like the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department that need their own budgets.
The newly created independent Tax Collector's office has added more than 500 staff members and opened multiple new offices throughout the county, greatly expanding its taxpayer-funded budget.
In her latest memo, Cava said her office was able to find $65.8 million newly identified funds, including $33.2 million in unspent funds from Constitutional Offices from the current fiscal year, $6.6 million in additional departmental adjustments, and $26 million from the Tax Collector’s Office.
She specifically highlighted the restoration of arts funding and the maintenance of an independent Department of Arts and Culture.
"Residents asked us to protect arts and culture, community programs, parks, and essential services for our most vulnerable—and we listened,” she said. “At the same time, we are making smart investments in reserves and public safety to ensure Miami-Dade remains strong, safe, and financially resilient in the years ahead."
During a large community town hall meeting on Tuesday, the mayor said this funding is only temporary and not recurring, so arts funding may be cut again in a future budget cycle.
Other parts of Cava's proposed budget have come under fire from groups like the Miami-Dade County firefighters union. The union threatened to sue the county over a new requirement that fire rescue take on the full debt service costs for the air rescue helicopter unit — something the county previously reimbursed them for.
Cava's memo does not make mention of changes to air rescue funding. County officials are expected to come back and finalize the budget in September.
(2750x625, AR: 4.4)