Miami-Dade courthouse financing up to voters

Miami-Dade County voters will decide in November whether to pass a $393 million bond to help fund a new courthouse.

County commissioners added a measure to the ballot that, if approved, will cover much of the costs of a 620,000-square-foot courthouse and help maintain the existing structure with a $25 million earmark. The millage rate would increase by $18 for a home valued at $200,000, and surcharge fees on tickets could be raised, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

The county will try to build the new courthouse on its own, but it has not ruled out a public-private partnership. A location has not been determined.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez told the commission that the current courthouse is inadequate and without the bond would be very expensive to maintain. [South Florida Business Journal] – Frank Maradiaga