MDX caused strife between mayor and legislators

In case you missed it, there was a flare-up this past legislative session between Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and two members of the Miami-Dade legislative delegation.

Mayor Gimenez squared off with Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. and Rep. Bryan Avila over the future of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX). I have been observing the relationship between our local legislative delegation and the county commission for 35 years, and I can tell you that there is a natural tension between these two groups of elected officials, which usually sorts itself out. But this fight is different. It is ongoing, and bad feelings have spilled over to the broader group of commissioners and legislators.

I believe I can bring some perspective to this issue because, as chair of the Florida House of Representatives Finance and Taxation Committee from 1991 to 1994, I inserted the language into a tax bill which allowed the county commission to create the Expressway Authority. I also served as the first interim chair of the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, the county’s oversight committee of the half-penny sales tax passed in 2002 for transportation improvements.

Local governing bodies like the county commission have grown increasingly frustrated over the legislature’s frequent preemption of what is traditionally considered local governing prerogatives. This is especially true in Miami-Dade County, where home rule is a long-standing governing principle. While it is fair to say that the legislature has over-reached at times in this regard, it is also fair to say that local officials have been tonedeaf for too long to voters' irritation over excessive tolling. And excessive tolling is at the heart of this battle. Former state representative and now Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, who is collaborative by nature, raised the issue several years ago, only to be stonewalled by the expressway authority. The issue did not go away. This past session it was picked up by Representative Avila and Senator Diaz and had bi-partisan support. The mayor and several county commissioners escalated the rhetoric

by bandying around terms like “little boys and traitors“while referring to the legislators.

As a former member of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation, I may be biased toward the legislators, but my reading of the record is that, by and large, the delegation has united behind Miami-Dade County’s institutions and priorities. The members informally delegate responsibility to various legislators to advocate for those county priorities, based upon their strength and issue knowledge.

Of course, there have been some major failures. In some years important institutions, such as Miami Dade College, Jackson Memorial or FIU have taken a hit. But overall, Miami-Dade legislators have done very well for the county. For instance, this year House Speaker José Oliva was able to get FIU $15 million in recurring revenue, which is a huge win. The commissioners should also remember that in the era of term limits, the relative strength of the delegation fluctuates with every two-year cycle. This year we have a fairly young delegation, but it is a talented group and maturing as a body.

It would be a mistake for anyone to view this chasm as just limited to a few Republican legislators. The alienation runs deeper and across party lines. Years ago when Miami-Dade had a stronger, more organized civic leadership, it would help bridge differences among the community’s political leadership. The delegation sometimes rightfully feels under appreciated. It was interesting to note that an ad for the Chamber Impact Conference had pictures of a variety of elected officials, but not one included a member of the delegation.

The transportation crisis precedes most current officeholders. Let us not forget the original sin of the “half-penny” transportation plan. As the first interim chair of the CITT, I quickly realized the pledges made by the proponents were not fully funded by the half-penny. The campaign had been deceitful, so after six months I decided to resign.

Commissioners and legislators have been trying to dig their way out since. But there is no hope if they are in a constant spitball fight. The next legislative session isn’t that far away, and it is essential there be a strong working relationship between the delegation and the county.

Mike Abrams is a former chairman of the Dade Democratic Party, a former state legislator and currently a policy adviser to Ballard Partners.