Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is strategizing for a challenging 2026 budget by asking department heads for a 10% spending cut due to anticipated revenue shortfalls. She acknowledges the tough decisions that lie ahead in light of declining growth following years of increased funding from federal COVID aid and a booming housing market. The 2026 budget could mark the most difficult in her tenure, as a $48 million gap between tax revenues and spending is projected, necessitating the consideration of significant austerity measures.
"I fully recognize the hard work and difficult decisions ahead," she wrote in a March 7 memo to department heads announcing austerity measures and asking for potential spending cuts.
Levine Cava won't release her 2026 budget proposal until the summer, but the latest forecast from her administration shows a $48 million gap between expected tax revenues and countywide spending next year.
For now, the spending cuts are just a budget exercise as Levine Cava and her deputies decide what kind of a spending plan to send to county commissioners in July.
All signs point to the 2026 budget being the most challenging one yet for the Democrat and former social worker who ran on the slogan 'A mayor who cares'.
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