Mayor Daniella Levine Cava revealed that Miami-Dade County is facing a $402 million budget deficit. To make up for the loss, she is looking to cut spending, and as a result, many public programs are now in danger of losing funding.
Curley’s House Food Bank, located on the edge of Liberty City, is one example of a non-profit that may be affected by the budget cuts. Lavern Spicer, the executive director of Curley’s, stated that it is too early to know how the budget cuts will affect the food bank, but the county’s financial support is essential.
The food bank received more than $200,000 from the county last year, she said. Curley’s relies on Miami-Dade for purchasing food, overhead costs, the rent, light bills, etc., as well as making sure that they give out nutritious food that is not expired or outdated, said Spicer.
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She explained that a lot of seniors they serve only get $5 to $20 in food stamps a month, and there are some who do not get anything and cannot afford to buy food.
“The cost of living is at an extreme high, and they cannot afford to provide for themselves. So we are here, to stand in the gap to make sure that these people are able to eat and not die from starvation,” Spicer said.
The poverty rate in Liberty City is 42.9%, which is more than double the overall poverty rate in Miami-Dade County, according to a report done by the South Florida Housing Studies Consortium in 2017.
Curley’s House Food Bank, located at 6025 NW 6th Ct., serves over 5,000 people per month.
The mayor’s proposed cuts in Levine Cava’s $12.9 billion budget for 2026 include $55 million that subsidizes nonprofit organizations. Two senior centers and three congregate meal sites would also close.
To further offset the budget deficit, 350 county positions are being eliminated, and fees for park services, marinas, and golf courses will increase. Levine Cava is also reducing pay for top executives.
Levine Cava says half of the deficit is driven by an “unfunded state mandate” that increased the cost of county government to pay for a state amendment that created five additional independent constitutional offices for services that were already provided.
Florida voters adopted Amendment 10 to the state constitution in November 2018. As a result, since Jan. 7, 2025, there are new constitutional offices — all of which run independently from Miami-Dade County government — including the Sheriff, the Supervisor of Elections, the Property Appraiser, the Tax Collector, and the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller.
Commissioners vote on the new budget in September, which is set to go into effect on October 1.
This story was originally published in the Liberty City Independent, a WLRN News partner.
