Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Gets Full Public Safety Funding

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office will receive full funding for the 2025–2026 fiscal year.

On August 20, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz addressed the Board of County Commissioners, highlighting the urgent need to fully fund public safety in the county.

The following is her statement regarding the amended Fiscal Year 2025–2026 budget.

“I’m pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Miami-Dade County concerning the budget for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. The County budget will be amended to include an additional $30.8 million required to meet the public safety needs of Miami-Dade,” said Cordero-Stutz.

“I reiterated multiple times throughout the process that the public safety budget I submitted was a thoughtful and thorough request based on the true needs to protect the residents of Miami-Dade. I appreciate and commend the hard work and dedication of all who helped identify the additional required funding. My commitment to the residents of Miami-Dade is to govern with utmost transparency and accountability to make certain we secure the needed resources to protect our community. This budget agreement will allow MDSO to fulfill that commitment for this fiscal year. My focus and priority will always be the safety of all Miami-Dade residents,” said Cordero-Stutz.

While the sheriff’s office funding has been finalized, tensions have emerged between Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the Miami-Dade firefighters union over the cost of the county’s air rescue service.

Union leaders argue that the cost of operating the department’s helicopters is negatively impacting the fire rescue budget.

During a recent press conference, union members explained that they cannot afford the $28 million required to operate the county fire department’s four helicopters.

The union says that the helicopters are essential to maintain the county’s emergency response times. Ed Kelly of the International Association of Firefighters noted that the county’s current response time is over nine minutes, while the national standard calls for 5.5 minutes.

Union leaders are particularly frustrated that the proposed budget would shift the financial responsibility for the helicopters from the county’s general fund to the fire rescue department’s budget. They argue this reallocation threatens other critical areas of fire and rescue operations.

Mayor Levine Cava responded by saying the county administration is already within the recommended response time and expressed pride in the service being provided.

She stated that the $28 million currently comes from the county’s general fund budget. Her recommended budget for 2026 proposes shifting that financial burden to the fire rescue department’s budget.

Mayor Levine Cava emphasized that the fire service should bear responsibility for the debt associated with the helicopters. She also praised the county’s firefighters, noting that Miami-Dade has some of the best firefighters in the world.

The discussions highlight the ongoing balancing act between ensuring adequate funding for public safety across multiple departments, while managing budget constraints and financial responsibility.

The final decisions will affect both law enforcement and emergency response services, with the goal of protecting all residents of Miami-Dade County.