Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz plans to end the security detail that protects the county mayor and 13 commissioners, effective Nov. 9. In a letter Thursday to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the Board of County Commissioners, she cited a “budget shortfall” and said the move would redirect resources.
Levine Cava responded the same day. She warned that giving less than three weeks’ notice creates a significant security challenge at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, which houses county offices, draws residents seeking public services and serves as a major transit hub. The building is also a polling location.
The mayor asked the Sheriff’s Office for a detailed transition plan before Nov. 9. She wants it to spell out what security coverage will remain, how duties will be coordinated and how threat assessments will be shared. She said her administration will work with Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez to keep the building secure during the changeover.
Levine Cava also disputed the sheriff’s description of the budget. She pointed to the county’s adopted $1.23 billion budget for the Sheriff’s Office in fiscal year 2026-27, which she said is the largest in the office’s history and more than $186 million above the sheriff’s certified request. The sheriff’s appeal of that budget is still pending. The mayor also said the office has not provided all the budget information requested, including records sought through public records requests.
The fight comes as questions have surfaced about MDSO spending, including a reported $132,000 purchase of new cowboy hats for deputies. Levine Cava urged both offices to keep security separate from the broader budget dispute.
