Along with the reelection of that climate-change denying, gay marriage opposing, old bald guy voters yesterday decided a few things of significant importance to South Florida. First off, Miami-Dade County voters decided not to raise property taxes to fund emergency repairs to the historic Dade County Courthouse and construction of a new, replacement courthouse somewhere else. "It's a clear mandate against burdening taxpayers for Miami-Dade county's mismanagement. It's an indictment against the county's lack of planning" school board member Raquel Regalado said, which is probably right, although somebody has to save that damn courthouse. The structure, built in 1928, is too historic and important to lose.
Voters also approved the expansion of Florida International University into the adjacent Dade County Youth Fair site which, although a part of Tamiami Park, basically looks like a giant, hideous parking lot whenever the fair isn't there, which is most of the time. Finally, despite opposition by both library advocates and park advocates, Dade County voters also approved putting public libraries in existing recreational park buildings. They probably assumed functioning libraries are better than locked up rec rooms with foosball tables. The implications could be lovely with new mini-libraries added to existing empty buildings where lots of kiddies and other park users would access to them, or absolutely horrendous with existing libraries relocating into smaller spaces in park buildings that are already used by knitting grandmothers, domino players, AA groups, etc. and then sneakily (and "temporarily") expanding into other parts of said parks. Who knows?
· Miami Courthouse measure fails; FIU expansion passes [Miami Herald]
· Dade County Courthouse coverage [Curbed Miami]
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