Miami-Dade County paying too much on affordable-housing program: report

A state examiner’s report found that 13 cents of every real-estate transaction surtax dollar earmarked for affordable housing was eaten by administrative costs in Miami-Dade County last year. According to the Miami Herald, Florida’s legislature attempted to curb administrative spending in 2009 by capping it at 10 percent of the annual surtax revenue. The county has since attempted to get around the 10 percent limit by tapping other revenue sources to make up the difference. In 2011, the county spent approximately $5 million on administrative costs, even though the cap for that year was set at $1.9 million.

Now, Mayor Carlos Gimenez and other public officials are mounting an attack on what they deem wasteful administrative spending in the surtax program by reorganizing the department. “We’re going through a massive reform to make sure we’re getting the most bang for the buck,” said Gregg Fortner, executive director of Miami-Dade’s Department of Public Housing and Community Development. [Miami Herald]