Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava discussed various issues including affordable housing and the economy in her 2024 State of the County address Wednesday night.
Before an audience at Zoo Miami, Levine Cava summarized her accomplishments in her first three years in office and outlined her vision for economic growth in the county.
Even before her State of the County address, Levine Cava spoke of the area's most pressing issue, affordable housing.
"The prices of housing have gone up and salaries have not kept pace, so we have doubled down," she said. "You’ve heard all about our homes program the 32,000 units in process."
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During her speech, the mayor noted the COVID pandemic and the county’s rebound.
"A year later, businesses reopened, newcomers arrived, and a new economic landscape was unfolding," she said.
Other topics of note included improvements in the economy — the mayor boasted 6,000 new jobs, a low 1.6% unemployment rate, the continued effort to move homes from septic to sewer systems, and the $2.5 billion bond issue on November's ballot.
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The mayor also remembered the Surfside condominium collapse and reforms that followed.
"We accelerated building recertification, we require associations to post their budget and safety record, and we strengthened our building code," she said.
The mayor had a special shout-out to first responders and the approximately 30,000 county employees. She spoke directly to Miami-Dade residents.
"Through tragedy and through triumph, you were brave," Levine Cava said. "You showed up, that’s why I am so proud of you and so in love with this community."
This was Levine Cava's fourth State of the County address. She is up for reelection this November.
