The residents of the City of Miami Gardens approved a $60 million General Obligation Bond referendum to renovate the city’s parks and recreational facilities and equip the City with cutting-edge public safety technology. The large-scale renovations to existing parks and facilities aim to engage the City’s youth and adults alike. Ballots for the general Obligation Bond were mailed on April 1 and had to be returned by April 21.
62 percent of the City’s residents voted “Yes” for:
1)STEM Laboratory: a science, technology, engineering and math lab where students can explore these technical fields
2)Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center: a culinary arts center where residents can sharpen their culinary skills. There will also be an area designated for outdoor dining and hospitality services.
3)Audio-Visual and Arts Center: a recording and video studio where residents can hone their talents in front of the microphone, or camera, and behind it
4)Elderly Center: an area dedicated to the services and recreational activities enjoyed by the City’s seniors
5)Alternative Sports and Fitness Complex: a facility that will house boxing, ballet, martial arts and other non-traditional sports
“Today, our residents have spoken,” said Mayor Oliver Gilbert in a statement. “They’ve said that providing a safer community for our youth and improving the quality of life for our seniors is a priority.”
The City will utilize a portion of these funds to install crime prevention surveillance cameras and license plate readers at strategic locations throughout the City. This general obligation bond represents a comprehensive effort to improve the quality of life for the residents of Miami Gardens by creating a safer city. The bond will cost the average household in Miami Gardens about $46.28 per year, and will be paid out over the course of 25 years. That amount is based on the city’s average taxable home value of about $34,000 after the homestead exemption. To track the progress of the renovations, the City will launch a website so that residents will be able to track the progress.