Miami Beach drops vote on homelessness and domestic violence tax — after voting begins

Miami Beach commissioners voted 4-3 Wednesday to drop a Nov. 5 referendum question that sought voter approval to allow the city to collect a 1 percent tax on food and beverage sales to benefit in most of the homeless.

The commission’s decision means no votes will be counted – even though thousands of early voters have already cast ballots.

The tax was levied only on businesses that sell alcohol and make at least $400,000 a year. Hotels and motels were not excluded.

The money would have gone toward funding programs for homeless residents through the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, as well as programs for victims of domestic violence.

Commission members who voted to kill the measure said the city has nothing to gain and risks losing control of the money.

Mayor Steven Meiner voted to override the vote, following Commissioner David Suarez questioning whether the city would benefit from funding the county’s Homeless Trust, “an organization outside the city of Miami Beach that has no written obligation of to allocate any funds back to our city.”

“This proposed homeless tax is a master class in bad governance,” Suarez said.

Suarez pointed to the big developers who donated to the company political action committee supporting the ballot item, called “Residents United to End Homelessness,” such as Lennar Corporation, which donated $100,000.

“Ask yourself, why are developers investing big money in this? It is not out of compassion or charity. It’s a money grab. It’s like a reverse Robin Hood taking from hardworking local hospitality businesses that aren’t part of the luxury hotels and giving to them. even in the interests of billionaire developers, lobbies and special interests.”

Commissioner Laura Dominguez dismissed Suarez’s argument, saying she had met with Homeless Trust officials and was confident the money would go to help the city’s most vulnerable population.

“They are an honest organization that really strives to help with the homeless problem,” Dominguez said.

WLRN reached out to Homeless Trust officials, but they did not immediately return calls for comment.

But Homeless Trust President Ron Book told the Miami Herald on Wednesday that the city commission “totally ignored” the factual information presented at the meeting, saying the agency will “explore all options” to make sure constituents’ voices are heard on measure.

READ MORE: Arrests of homeless residents in Miami-Dade have skyrocketed since the new law

Commissioner Tanya Katzoff Bhatt said she voted against the annulment of the vote to respect the votes already counted. City officials said more than 20,000 Miami Beach voters have already cast ballots during early voting.

“I think it’s a terrible practice and a terrible precedent for the little ‘D’ democracy to start telling voters we’re just kidding,” Katzoff Bhatt said. “You’re not smart enough to make up your mind. You’re not smart enough to see through the politics we’re all subjected to whether or not we’re candidates.”

A city attorney told commissioners the previous commission approved the vote and expects to raise $10 million annually for the services.

Commissioner Joe Magazine, who voted against the vote, questioned whether the money raised through the tax would alleviate the homeless crisis. He showed an alleged rape one morning earlier this month by a homeless man, according to local media reportssuggesting that money would not reduce crime.

“Would putting $10 million of our taxpayers’ money into the Homeless Trust prevent this?” asked the magazine rhetorically. “The worst problems we face in our city, I don’t think they are solved by putting more and more money to a non-governmental organization’.

Bal Harbor also has a similar item on the Nov. 5 ballot. If the city approves the levy, Miami Beach and Surfside will be the only municipalities in Miami-Dade that do not contribute to the county’s homelessness and domestic violence levy program.

Wednesday night Miami Herald Editorial Board sprawling commissars for the “anti-democratic” movement.

“The 11th-hour move to overturn a November ballot question that would have asked voters whether to authorize the tax smacks of an undemocratic effort by commissioners to overturn a potential election outcome they disagree with agreement”.

The influential board recommended voters in Miami Beach and Bal Harbor approve the ballot items.