Miami-Dade County's August budget roadshow starts Wednesday night, giving residents a narrow window to question Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's proposed FY 2026-27 spending plan before final budget hearings in September.

The first Conversations with Cava Budget Town Hall is scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center, 7930 SW 40th Street in Miami. Five more meetings are planned through August 31 across North Dade, downtown Miami, Arcola Lakes, Miami Gardens and Cutler Bay.

The meetings matter because the proposed budget keeps Miami-Dade's operating property tax rate flat for a fourth consecutive year while warning of pressure on transit, constitutional offices and future revenue. Residents who use buses, county services or property-tax-funded programs have a chance to hear the tradeoffs before commissioners vote later this budget season.

What the county is pitching

In its July budget announcement, the mayor's office said the proposal protects core services, holds the operating property tax rate at what it described as the lowest level since 1982, and builds around five priorities: safety and health, economic opportunity, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, and risk reduction.

The proposal also highlights savings from WISE305, the county efficiency initiative. The mayor's office said the program helped save $42 million, reduce costs by $79 million and eliminate more than 400 vacant positions. Those figures make the town halls less about a single meeting notice and more about how Miami-Dade plans to absorb costs without raising the operating rate.

Transit is one of the clearest pressure points. The mayor's office says the proposal would increase transit spending by $66 million, but it also cites long-term funding challenges and targeted reductions to low-ridership early-morning and late-night service routes. The county says Special Transportation Services and MetroConnect would be protected, and the proposal does not call for a fare or fuel-tax increase.

Where the meetings go next

After Wednesday's Westchester meeting, the county lists sessions for Thursday, August 6, at Oak Grove Park Community Center; Friday, August 7, at the Miami-Dade Main Public Library; Monday, August 10, at Arcola Lakes Senior Center; Wednesday, August 19, at North Dade Regional Library; and Monday, August 31, at the Dennis Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay.

Miami-Dade's budget office has posted the proposed budget volumes and budget-in-brief online, along with process materials. The county says the mayor's presentation opens public discussion ahead of September hearings before the Board of County Commissioners.

One unresolved risk is outside county hall. The mayor's office says potential statewide property tax reform could cost Miami-Dade an estimated $385.8 million in General Fund revenue in the first year and nearly $697 million in the second year. That uncertainty is likely to shape questions from residents and commissioners even if this year's proposed operating rate remains flat.

What to watch

For residents, the practical questions are whether proposed service levels match neighborhood needs, whether any transit reductions affect work or caregiving trips, and whether county departments can sustain savings without degrading service. The August meetings are the public-facing step before commissioners make the final budget decision in September.