Community advocates packed Miami-Dade's government center on Thursday to voice their concerns about the county’s proposed $13.1 billion budget and its impact on thousands of its most vulnerable residents.
"More than ever, people are at the brink of eviction and truly need legal assistance," Maria Llorens, Policy and Research Director with the nonprofit Miami Workers Center, told WLRN before the public hearing.
She is urging the commission not to cut funding for the county's eviction diversion program.
Others criticized proposed cuts to programs like the county-funded Metro Connect — a free on-demand ride service.
Miami-Dade resident Mercedes Cabrera said she relies on Metro Connect to get around with her disability, and is worried the county will do away with it.
"My mobility and freedom to go about and live my life and have fun and enjoy and get medical attention and access to food would be significantly limited," Cabrera told WLRN.
Before Thursday night's budget hearing, a coalition of more than 60 local social service agencies — "The Advocacy Collective" — came together as one voice “to demand the restoration of critical funding for safety-net services that thousands of residents rely on.”
The coalition was organized by the Jewish Community Services of South Florida.
In an op-ed published Thursday in the Miami Herald, Miriam Singer, President and CEO of Jewish Community Services of South Florida, wrote that the proposed county budget would leave approximately 30% of residents who rely on critical services without access to food, shelter, childcare, and homecare.
Singer wrote that "Community-based organizations," or CBOs, form the foundation of the county's social safety net. She warned a drastic reduction in county funding would not only devastate the quality of life for tens of thousands of residents but also lead to the closure of trusted organizations and the loss of hundreds of trained professionals.
She framed the budget decision as a "test of conscience," saying that the county cannot claim a scarcity of resources with a record-high budget.
She called on county commissioners to fully restore funding for legacy safety-net CBOs and to establish a dedicated, permanent funding source to sustain these services.
Thursday night's public hearing on the county budget was the first of two scheduled. The next one will be held Thursday, September 14.
The hearings are held at the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW 1st Street, 22nd Floor, Miami, FL 33128.
Learn more about the county budget here. You can find contact information about your commissioners here.
