Statement from Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez on Budget Savings and Community Investment

The Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office, under the leadership of Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez, announced historic savings and an unprecedented return of funds to local governments and residents during this year’s budget cycle.

Since 1885, the Tax Collector’s Office has been entrusted by law to collect taxes and deliver essential services. Today, those dollars continue to fund schools, police, fire rescue, libraries, parks, and the core infrastructure of Miami-Dade County.

"Our responsibility is not only to collect revenues but to safeguard the public trust,” said Tax Collector Fernandez. “Every year, our budget resets to zero. That means every dollar saved goes directly back to the people of this county. This year alone, our office has returned more than $90 million, resources that strengthen neighborhoods and empower families.”

Among this year’s achievements:
$6 million in direct savings identified within the office’s operations.
$20 million returned six months ahead of schedule, already invested to eliminate parking fees at county parks, reduce the proposed gas tax increase by half, restore lifeguards, strengthen public safety, and repair neighborhood roads.
Elimination of inefficient contracts, saving an additional $4 million while modernizing services.
A decision to forgo $12 million the office was legally entitled to retain, ensuring those funds remained in the community.
Fernandez emphasized that Miami-Dade is the only county in Florida where the Tax Collector has taken such unprecedented steps.

“This is not business as usual,” Fernandez said. “No other Tax Collector in Florida has made these commitments. But when our community calls, we answer. And when we save, we return those savings to the people, not to bureaucracy.”

The Tax Collector made clear that once the funds are transferred to the County, his office no longer controls how they are spent. “My hope is that these dollars are directed toward programs that empower people, not those that create dependency on government,” Fernandez said. “Behind every job is a family, and protecting them means protecting the residents of Miami-Dade County.”

Fernandez urged residents to remain engaged in the democratic process, attend local budget hearings, and hold elected officials accountable for the use of public funds.

"This effort demonstrates what is possible when government works closer to the people it serves,” Fernandez concluded. “That is the vision we are delivering for Miami-Dade County.”