000 known as Biscayne Gardens could become a municipality if a referendum passes on Nov. 2 authorizing the county commission to create the new government, subject to a second referendum on a municipal charter.” title=”Will it be Miami-Dade County’s 35th municipality? The neighborhood of around 35,000 known as Biscayne Gardens could become a municipality if a referendum passes on Nov. 2 authorizing the county commission to create the new government, subject to a second referendum on a municipal charter.” loading=”lazy”/>
Will it be Miami-Dade County’s 35th municipality? The neighborhood of around 35,000 known as Biscayne Gardens could become a municipality if a referendum passes on Nov. 2 authorizing the county commission to create the new government, subject to a second referendum on a municipal charter.
Miami-Dade County could get its 35th municipality if residents of the Biscayne Gardens area decide to separate themselves from county municipal services and approve the formation of their own local government.
It takes a majority vote to pass the Biscayne Gardens referendum on November 2. The referendum authorizes the county commission to create the new municipality. Voting is limited to residents located within the five mile zone on unincorporated land outside of Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami and North Miami Beach.
If the referendum was successful, a second referendum would eventually be necessary to approve a municipal charter for the village.
Proponents tout the potential for local control over zoning decisions and point to incorporation as a defense against neighboring governments incorporating parts of the area into their own boundaries.
Opponents point to higher tax rates coming from dropping the Miami-Dade municipal service tax (less than $ 2 per $ 1,000 of assessed value) to paying a local government for the same services (a county study predicted a municipal tax of 4 $ per $ 1,000 if Biscayne Gardens incorporated). Municipal tax rates are only part of an annual property tax bill, which includes tax for the school system, county-wide services, and other government functions.
About 35,000 people live in the area that could be incorporated, and the referendum will be decided by the approximately 18,900 registered voters who currently live there. The deadline to register to vote in the referendum is Monday, October 4.