Facing budget pressures, Gimenez proposes cuts to fire units

In 2012, we gave Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez a Promise Kept for not laying off police officers or closing fire stations. But a new budget proposal by Gimenez could mean that he breaks half that promise.

He made the promise during a 2011 radio debate:

Moderator Jim Defede (CBS-4 reporter): "Are you saying that under your administration if you were mayor you will not lay off any police officers and you will not close any fire stations?"

Gimenez: "Yeah, I will not close any fire stations."

DeFede: "And laying off police officers?"

Gimenez: "I'm not laying off any police officers. That's correct. But police officers and fire stations -- now remember there is more to those departments than police officers and firefighters. ... There are a lot of people behind desks that should be on the street."

In early July Gimenez proposed a property-tax rate hike to maintain services, including libraries and fire-rescue, and to fund a plan to stop killing cats and dogs at the animal shelter, a move voters approved in a non-binding straw ballot.

County commissioners, some facing re-election next year, balked at the tax increase, so Gimenez lowered the proposed increase, the Miami Herald reported. But commissioners criticized that proposal, too.  

So Gimenez scrapped the idea of a tax rate hike and unveiled yet another budget proposal -- this one with service cuts -- on July 15. The next day, the county commission voted 8-4 in favor of the flat tax rate. The tentative vote means that the county commission could further lower the tax rate -- but not raise it -- when they take a final vote after public hearings in September.

The worst-case scenario for fire-rescue includes 149 layoffs and cutting six units out of 139.

According to the county, the six units slated for elimination are:

• Rescue 78 – Eastern Shores/North Miami Beach

• Rescue 70 – Cutler Bay/Coconut Palm

• Rescue 72 – Homestead/ Florida City

• Platform 21 – Haulover

• Engine 27 – North Bay Village

• Engine 5 – Goulds

Most fire stations have a fire truck unit and a rescue truck unit; however, the Eastern Shores station has just one rescue truck, according to Rowan Taylor, president of the Metro-Dade International Association of Firefighters. That means to close that unit would shut down the station, Taylor said. (County spokeswoman Suzy Trutie confirmed that this station would close.)

The plan also calls for eliminating a rescue truck at Cutler Bay -- a station that is currently under construction. Taylor said construction on that site would stop. Although this station isn't open yet, the truck is in service at another nearby station, Trutie said.

We won't know the final outcome of the budget until county commissioners take the final vote Sept. 19. The current budget plan includes no police layoffs, so Gimenez has kept half his promise here. But he is on track to break the other half because the budget plan would close one existing fire station and one under construction. For now we rate this promise Stalled.