As Miami-Dade's budget woes grow, some call to cancel World Cup subsidies
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Last year, Miami-Dade County agreed to spend $46 million to host the 2026 World Cup games at Hard Rock Stadium — including about $25 million for things like police presence and paramedic overtime.
- Now, as the county faces a more than $400-million budget deficit for the same year, some elected officials and other community members are questioning the plan.
State of play: Last month, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava outlined cuts of up to 35% for some departments and the merger of others to offset the deficit.
- One merger — the Department of Cultural Affairs into the Public Library System — resulted in a proposed 50% cut to the county's cultural grant funding, or about $12.8 million, a loss many argue will decimate the city's arts community.
Meanwhile, FIFA is projected to generate more than $10 billion from the games, The Athletic reported.
The latest: Last month, County Commission Vice Chairman Kionne L. McGhee called on the county to halt all funding for the FIFA games and return the funds, demanding they be reallocated to support community programs that were hit by the proposed budget cuts.
- In a news release, McGhee said he was "proud to support" bringing the games to Miami, as it would "drive economic growth," but the recent proposal for cuts to local initiatives "changes everything."
- "When our residents are facing the loss of programs that keep communities alive, safe, and dignified, spending millions on FIFA stadiums and events becomes indefensible. I can no longer support it," he wrote.
The other side: "When we're looking at a $400 million-plus deficit in our budget, yes, it raises the question if we should claw back some of that money, but we can't forget that the county asked for this," Miami-Dade County Chairman Anthony Rodriguez said during a recent podcast appearance.
- "This is something the county applied for," he said. "We wanted it. We asked for it [and] we got it. Now we've got to support it."
The intrigue: At another town hall earlier this week, Levine Cava said commissioners could vote to reduce the subsidy, but didn't say if she'd support doing so.
- In a statement last month, Levine Cava's office said the mayor remains concerned about the World Cup funding "as we balance critical needs in our community," the Miami Herald reported.
What's next: County commissioners are expected to vote on the final budget next month.