Homeowners in Miami’s Brickell, Edgewater and Downtown neighborhoods say they want out of the Miami Downtown Development Authority, an appointed group tasked with boosting economic development and public safety in the city’s urban core.
“It takes a bite out of my pocketbook,” said James Torres, a downtown resident and president of the Downtown Neighbors’ Alliance.
The Miami DDA levies a special tax on area homes and businesses to fund its operations. But Torres and others believe the costs far outweigh the benefits, especially for residents already burdened by skyrocketing living expenses.
“Miami has a condo crisis,” Torres said. “In my tower, we had a $21 million assessment just for that tower. My piece of that is $12,000.”
What stings most, he says, is the additional money many homeowners are required to pay the DDA.
“They’re double taxing us,” Torres said.
Residents question spending and oversight
The DDA board is made up of 15 appointed members who oversee programs aimed at strengthening the business community and improving neighborhood safety.
According to the agency, more than half of its budget — 58% — is funded by residential property owners, many of whom are also coping with rising insurance premiums, maintenance fees, and large building assessments.
“I’ll describe to you what the DDA is for us: it doesn’t do anything for Brickell,” said Ernesto Cuesta, president of the Brickell Homeowners’ Association.
“Nowhere in the city does this happen other than downtown and Brickell,” Torres added. “This is a problem.”
A recent survey by the Downtown Neighbors’ Alliance found that most residents want to leave the DDA district. Of those surveyed, 58% said they did not believe the DDA improves their quality of life. Torres believes the authority spends taxpayer money irresponsibly.
He pointed to a $450,000 contribution the DDA made to FC Barcelona to help the Spanish soccer club move its New York City offices to downtown Miami. Torres wrote a letter to Mayor Francis Suarez complaining about the deal.
DDA defends role, but residents push for exit
The DDA defended the move.
“As an economic development agency, the Miami DDA works on attracting companies and events that deliver a tangible economic impact,” the agency said in a statement. “A recent example is FC Barcelona. The Miami DDA secured their move to downtown Miami from New York City, comprised of an office and the first official Barca store in the U.S., which is expected to be a major draw for the area.”
Other DDA-funded initiatives include downtown’s free circulator trolley, grants for local business, and dozens of new security cameras and license plate readers connected to the city’s real-time crime network.
“While our main focus is economic development, we have increasingly allocated resources to support quality of life including funding additional police services, implementing a security camera network, expanding our downtown enhancement team, adding mobility options and supporting events hosted by our community partners,” a DDA spokesperson said.
Still, Torres says most residents want out.
“We want the divorce,” he said. “They can clearly be very successful in doing what they’re wanting to do by creating a business development district.”
Cuesta says many Brickell homeowners agree.
“Brickell is not downtown. Downtown is not Brickell,” he said. “(This is) taxation with no representation. We don’t see the services. DDA is supposed to be taking care of the redevelopment of downtown, not Brickell. Brickell does not need marketing.”
Residents have submitted a petition to Miami city commissioners requesting to be removed from the DDA tax zone.
