Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is warning that Amendment 3, a proposed state property tax measure, could force cuts to bus routes and service hours. She said property taxes are a critical source of money for local transit, and that the county already subsidizes the system at a rate she called unsustainable.
The amendment would lower the taxable value of primary homes in Florida by $150,000 in 2027 and by $250,000 in 2028. The county estimates it could cost the Department of Transportation and Public Works more than $29 million in 2027 and more than $24 million in 2028.
Levine Cava said the state recently pulled transit funding from the county. Its latest budget barely saved 13 bus routes from elimination and included a 50-cent increase in Metrorail fares. “With Amendment 3, for sure we will see cuts in routes, cuts in hours for service,” she said.
The department also maintains local roads, and the county already has an $18 million backlog of pothole repairs, Levine Cava said.
Riders and advocates say the impact would be broad. Tiago Abad-Sanchez, a Florida International University senior who rides the bus at least six times a week, said transit was a main reason he voted no. Cathy Dos Santos of Transit Alliance Miami said cuts could hit commuters who combine several kinds of transit.
Supporters argue the tax relief will help the local economy. Brickell condo owner Aaron Brill said he expects the savings to be spent locally and to generate sales tax revenue.
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