Miami-Dade got $942M in COVID relief. County saving some for ‘next wave’ of virus
Washington provided nearly $1 billion in coronavirus aid to Miami-Dade, and the county now faces the complicated task of giving some of it away.
Cities are pushing Miami-Dade to share a large chunk of the federal assistance; because of formulas Washington established, municipalities in the county didn’t qualify for help directly.
But Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s administration wants to give the cities far less than they want and use more of the dollars for direct aid to businesses and charities.
In a presentation to Miami-Dade commissioners Wednesday, the county’s chief financial officer laid out how the county is spending its $942 million in federal COVID aid and some proposals for unallocated dollars.
About $470 million came with ties to specific government functions hurt by COVID, such as $207 million for the county’s Miami International Airport and $222 million for the transit system. But about $474 million from the federal CARES Act is more open-ended to cover local government expenses tied to the virus response, and aid for those hurt by it.
Gimenez wants to use $70 million to help businesses closed by his latest emergency orders, including a ban on indoor dining at restaurants. “The small ones that can’t go outside — how can we keep them in business so they can open up again?” he said.
Another $35 million would go to charities to help the needy, with United Way getting the most.
Cities would get $135 million under the summary that CFO Ed Marquez presented, but Gimenez suggested that total could shrink. “Is $135 million the right amount? I’m not sure,” Gimenez told commissioners. “There’s some debate on that. That may be a little high number.”
Cities asking for much more
Marquez said cities pressed for a much larger amount than $135 million, urging Miami-Dade to distribute the aid by population. Cities account for about 55% of the county’s population, but the county’s proposed allotment is less than 30% of the $474 million.
“Our cities have and continue to make expenditures to feed our senior citizens and other vulnerable populations and have redirected additional funding to provide direct assistance grants to residential tenants and small businesses,” Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez wrote Gimenez June 30. “All without the benefit of a single dollar from the direct federal payment [that] Miami-Dade County received.”
Gimenez said he won’t allow cities to spend the money without county approval. “Some cities think this is a block grant, and they can spend it how they want. There’s no way we can allow that,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re on the hook.”
The fight over the municipal share will affect how Miami-Dade can distribute other CARES dollars in a year when Gimenez is running for Congress in a Republican primary and three commissioners, Esteban “Steve” Bovo, Daniella Levine Cava and Xavier Suarez, are running to succeed him.
The breakdown Marquez showed commissioners included:
▪ $40 million for contact tracing and testing. Gimenez released an agreement Thursday that would have the county spend $14 million to boost contact tracing in Miami-Dade, and the county recently launched a COVID mobile testing unit.
▪ $70 million in reserve for the “Next Wave” of COVID infections throughout the year.
▪ $15 million for senior meals after the county’s home-delivery program ends July 15. The county has already spent nearly $70 million on the emergency program since March, delivering nearly 8 million meals.
▪ $10 million for a new countywide rent relief program launching July 14.
▪ $4 million “bulk food purchase” as Miami-Dade continues with drive-up food distributions in parks across Miami-Dade.
