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Miami chooses new town manager, approves final budget

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After an executive session to discuss and finalize an employment contract for Town Manager, the Miami Council voted unanimously to approve the hiring of Alexis Rivera.

Increasing Miami’s primary property tax rate by 4.4991% generated a brief statement of support during the Call to the Public. In the actual Public Hearing on the issue, Chuck Broeder asked how much money had been raised from taxing internet sales. Finance Director Maria Lopez did not have the figures available. At Broeder’s request, Mayor Sammy Gonzales promised that he would announce the internet sales tax results at the next meeting of the Town Council.

A second public hearing followed. This one addressed the 2022-2023 final budget for the Town of Miami. Mayor Gonzales explained how inflation made increases necessary. The hearing was closed with no comments from the audience.

A proposal to allow  the Bullion Plaza Museum to sell old radiators for scrap raised a question about the illegality of a similar plan in 2010 to donate money to a non-governmental group. Town Lawyer Joe Estes explained that exceptions could be made in cases where the government receives benefits from the non-governmental agency and where these benefits are comparable in value to the money received from the government. The 2010 instance did not meet these requirements. Everyone agreed that Bullion Plaza qualified, and the sale was approved, with the proviso that at least one radiator be retained for educational purposes.

Council also approved a proclamation declaring August 2022 to be Child Support Awareness Month in Miami.

The meeting was not livestreamed on Facebook due to technical problems.