Miami-Dade County is a large, complex local government entity serving over 2.7 million residents, including both incorporated municipalities and a heavily urbanized unincorporated area. Established in 1957, the county operates under a two-tier government system defined by Florida law and its Home Rule Charter, with governance by an executive mayor and a Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The county delivers a broad range of public services including police, fire protection, zoning, water, sewer, and transportation, particularly in unincorporated areas where it acts as both municipal and county government[4]. In recent years, Miami-Dade County has been focused on modernizing public services, increasing government efficiency, and enhancing transparency. This is reflected in the 2025–2026 budget proposed by Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez, emphasizing reduced bureaucracy, community investment, and a self-sustaining financial model funded through service fees rather than surplus or taxes[1]. The county’s overall 2025 budget totals $12.9 billion, carefully balancing a $400 million shortfall without raising property taxes, through a combination of cost-saving measures, strategic reserve use, and department consolidations[2][3]. Key achievements include maintaining essential services like parks and transit despite budget pressures, protecting funding for charitable organizations, and avoiding fare increases on public transit by utilizing reserve funds. However, some cuts were necessary, such as eliminating lifeguards at swimming holes and closing the Office of New Americans, which supported legal immigrants pursuing citizenship[2][3]. The county has also strategically used federal relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to offset revenue losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a severe economic impact resulting in over $3 billion in combined revenue losses from 2020 to 2023[5]. Notably, Miami-Dade’s government structure was strengthened by a 2018 constitutional amendment that made key positions—tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, and sheriff—independen