The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutSubmittal-Zee Sultan-PowerPoint PresentationDowntown Neighbors Alliance Taxation Without Representation: Why Downtown Residents Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on05/22/2025. City Clerk Want Out of the DDA MAY 22, 2025 17642 Submittal -Zee Sultan-PowerPoint Presentation NMI Downtown Neighbors Alliance 1M KEY POINTS Why we are here today THE DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORS ALLIANCE IS HERE AS THE VOICE OF AN OVERTAXED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. We represent residents of condos and apartment buildings in downtown Miami, who are concerned about the cost of housing (made worse by overtaxing) and want to make sure their money is well - spent Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk WE ARE ADDRESSING AN ORGANIZATION THAT TAKES A LOT FROM RESIDENTS AND GIVES BACK RELATIVELY LITTLE. While the DDA -- for most of its existence - has fully ignored residents, has only one downtown residents on its Board, and continues to prioritize big business, it does do on the back of residents. �. 1M Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk Fully 58% of th DDA annual budget comes from taxing residential property. We want out. 5ubrnitted into the public record for items) DIAL on05 22 2025. CityClerk THIS ISSUE REQUIRE COMMISSION ACTION The DDA Board has shown unwillingness to take resident concerns about its finances seriously. It's time for the City Commission to step in. Unfortunately, wasteful spending makes up MOST of the DDA budget: • outrageously bloated executive compensation, office lease costs and perks, • large budgets for executive travel to junkets and conferences, • millions spent over the years on shelved urban planning studies, • hundreds of thousands to lobbyists every year, • very large outside PR / marketing expenses, in spite of having a full-time internal marketing team, • millions in funding for research pet projects requested by board members, • millions in giveaways to large multinational corporations. • wasteful spending on "messaging" problems away instead of fixing them. Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk • $100, 000 in grants to UFC, a $ 12 billion company, supposedly to "retain them" in Downtown Miami for an event that was already sold out. • $450,000 to Spanish soccer team Barcelona FC, worth $ 5.6 billion, to set up a retail shop and small office. • $175,000 to support a 2026 College Football Playoff event already backed by huge corporations like Nike,. Amazon, and Royal Caribbean. Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk IOUwieiVr T We are not alone Submitted Into the public record for Item(s) DI.4 on 05 22 2025 . City Clerk Downtown Neighbors. Alliance In 2024, over 600 Miami resident signed our petition to lower the DDA budget and left these comments: "We pay enough!" -Claudia Roussel, 33132 "I live in downtown and this affects my family." -Aileen Fan, 33132 Z. 24 "I am burdened by high taxes as it is so please contain unreasonable and disspraportionate increases." -Miguel Restrepo, 33129 "My taxes are already high. No need to raise them again." -Mike Pradzynski, 33137 "The DDA needs to balance their budgets better and show better use of the taxes before resorting to raising them." -Erin Landry, 33132 • " I am opposed to any increases for this tax year!" -Lida Jacobs, 33132 We are not alone Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk In 2024, over 600 Miami resident signed our petition to lower the DDA budget and left these comments: "The cost of living in South Florida is growing beyond the reach of working people, and real estate in particular," -Todd Britt, 33137 "Tax is already high. There are reserves that have not been used. Time we see roads and other downtown experiences improve before asking for more." -TJ Sabo, 33132 "We are being taxed with no visible signs of a return. Bad roads, insane traffic, total congestion, blighted buildings and many other concerns never addressed by the City." -Shirley Pardon, 33130 i i i We are not alone Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk In 2024, over 600 Miami resident signed our petition to lower the DDA budget and left these comments: "This is overkill. They need to drastically cut their bloated budget instead of raising already overwhelmed taxpayers taxes." -Gary Miller, 33137 "As a downtown resident for 15 years, I'm shocked at this misappropriation of funds; solicitation for an increase in taxes without direct benefit to downtown residents" -Cathy Bernstein, 33132 "I am a resident in downtown Miami and feel that the taxes are already very high and the rate of increase is excessively rapid. There needs to be other ways to rein in spending to make up for the deficits," -Hanadi Shamkhani, 33132 NA Downtown Neighbors Alliance OUR SURVEY Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk 16,300 contacted. Conducted via email. 850 registered voters in Downtown, Bricke ll, and Edgewater responded. Focus areas: taxation, spending, impact, and agency existence. SURVEY QUESTION #1: ON TAXATION 8.5% 84.6% • • • Oppose higher taxes to support the DDA Support Unsure Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 , on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 , on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk SURVEY QUESTION #2: DECISION TOGIVE $100,000 GRANT TO UFC • Oppose • Support • Unsure 85.1% Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 , on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk SURVEY QUESTION #3: DDA IMPACT ON RESIDENT QUALITY OF LIFE 57.9% • • • Negative/no impact Positive impact Unsure SURVEY QUESTION #4: SHOULD THE DDA BE DISSOLVED? 56.2% • Support O Oppose • Unsure Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk SUMMARY FINDINGS TAXI‘ t (®) Taxation is excessive While the DDA is funded primarily by taxing residents, those very residents question what the return on investment is, even as they are aware the burden on them is rising. There is too much waste Residents feel public money should serve public needs. Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 , on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk eTZ Lack of impact There is a disconnect between the DDA's priorities and community needs. OUR PROPOSAL: A BETTER WAY FORWARD Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 , on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk Modify the enacting ordinance of the DDA, so that they can ONLY be funded from taxes on non- residential property. If needed, put the ordinance change on the November ballot for affected residents ONLY to vote. Alternatively, replace the DDA with a Business Improvement District, as in W yn wood or Coconute Grove. Submitted into the public record for item(s) DI.4 on 05/22/2025 . City Clerk Time • respect residents' concerns and act '��_ boldly.