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General Government

General Government

Miami-Dade County continues to be on the forefront in deploying strategic management practices in local government. The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Center for Performance Measurement recognized the County for its ongoing efforts in measuring and improving local government performance. This is the 14th consecutive year that ICMA recognized Miami-Dade County and the eighth year the County was awarded their newest and highest level of recognition, the prestigious Certificate of Excellence, which is awarded to only 34 jurisdictions in the country.

  • The National Association of Counties (NACo) recognized Miami-Dade County with 25 awards in 2016 for implementing innovative ideas resulting in increased community engagement, improved customer experiences and enhanced efficiencies in the workplace. 
     
  • The Miami-Dade County Elections Department achieved the impressive milestone of serving almost one million voters (998,605, over 72 percent voter turnout) during the conduct of a successful, efficient, and nearly flawless Presidential Election. It was historic for a number of reasons:
    • Most voters ever processed in Miami-Dade County, surpassing the last highest voter turnout in 2012 by more than 110,000 voters.
    • Most voters who cast their ballot prior to Election Day, with 79 percent of voters voting before November 8, more a than 20 percent increase from previous Presidential Elections.
    • Most Early Voting voters ever processed (478,868), 48 percent of ballots cast in this election, and 140,000 more than the last Presidential Election.
    • Most Vote by Mail voters (305,071), with 31 percent of ballots cast in this election, and over 50,000 more that the Presidential Election.
    • Expanded the number of Early Voting sites from 20 to 30, a 50 percent increase that served us well as the most popular voting method in Miami-Dade County this cycle.
    • Most equipment allocated than ever before, procuring 3,253 new privacy booths, Ballot on Demand printers, electronic poll-books, and optical scanners for Early Voting and Election Day.
    • Results available online by 8:30 p.m. on Election Night.
  • The Audit and Management Services Department issued 30 Audit Reports, which resulted in improved internal controls, enhanced operational effectiveness, as well as an evaluation of compliance with County procedures and/or contractual obligations. These reviews encompassed several County Departments and companies doing business with the County, and certain audits netted monetary assessments and recoveries totaling $2.86 and $2.26 million, respectively.
     
  • The Communications Department (COM) recently launched the new beta.miamidade.gov website designed to help users quickly find and access County services; transforming the way Miami-Dade County communicates in a manner that is customer-focused and service driven.
     
  • COM’s 311 Contact Center answered 1.67 million calls providing one-on-one personal customer service in English, Spanish, and Creole. The 311 Contact Center also created over 315,700 Service Requests through multiple intake methods including phone, email and mobile.
     
  • COM was also awarded a trio of MarCom awards—two Platinum and one Gold–for integrated marketing and branding campaigns:
    • “Pets are Priceless” campaign, which assisted the Animal Services Department to achieve the 90 percent “no-kill” shelter rescue milestone, won a Platinum Award.
    • “Miami EcoAdventures” which included a campaign that invited the world to experience our County’s natural areas, also won a Platinum Award.
    • “We’re Moving” campaign, which informed residents of the opening of our new Pet Adoption and Protection Center, won the Gold award.
  • The Finance Department’s (Finance) Bond Administration Division facilitated a total of 13 financing transactions completed during Calendar Year 2016 in excess of $3.4 billion. The financings included six new money/refunding bond issuances, one professional sports tax conversion, two GOB conversions and four Interim Financings (commercial paper/drawdown bonds) programs. Taking advantage of low interest rates the Division generated in excess of $385.5 million in debt service savings, which equates to $271 million in today’s dollars.
     
  • The Tax Collector Division of Finance enhanced customer on-line payment abilities through the development of a Mobile App version of the Tax System. Since May, a total of 5,769 payments totaling $15.9 million were processed by customers through this App. In fiscal year 2016, web-based credit card transactions and electronic check payment transactions (E-checks) totaled $92 million and $1.2 billion, respectively.

  • The Information Technology Department's (ITD) eCommerce services continues to grow, with a total of 204 merchant accounts. As of November 30, 2016 the County’s Payment Gateway had processed an excess of $1.7 billion via 3,606,178 credit card and eCheck transactions.  In addition, the ITD eCommerce team completed a major upgrade to the County’s Payment Gateway, at no cost to our customer departments, to comply with the clearing house’s processor change and include new services, such as the Automatic Transaction Reversal. 
     
  • Miami-Dade County employees received their first Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) since 2011, due to responsible budgeting and planning and the Human Resource (HR) negotiations with our unions, which provided for a wage adjustment depending on the growth reflected in the July 2015 and 2016 Preliminary Taxable Values. 

  • HR will continue to invest in our future leaders by once again offering the Mayor’s Executive Leadership Program. In the past, we partnered with FIU and Florida Memorial University to provide Juniors and Seniors the opportunity to work side by side with our administrators to provide the students with exposure to the public sector and the challenges and rewards associated with being a public servant.  This year, we are proud to welcome students from the University of Miami, St. Thomas University and Barry University.

  • The FY 2016-17 Adopted Budget continues Miami-Dade County's sustainable spending practices establishing the basis for a five-year financial forecast that is balanced and includes contributions to the Emergency Contingency Reserve. By FY 2019-20 reserves are estimated to reach $100 million of the total general fund supported budget.
     
  • Managed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the $2.9 billion voter-approved Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program is approaching its twelfth year. Work is currently ongoing at approximately 300 project sites with close to 1,100 sites completed in past years. There have been eleven bond issuances yielding $1.70 billion. Over 1,800 housing units have been built, providing affordable housing opportunities as a result of GOB funding and over 150 additional units will be provided once all GOB affordable housing funding allocations have been expended.
     
  • During calendar year 2016, nearly 10,000 low-income residents who are living with HIV or AIDS have received access to outpatient medical care and support services through a federal grant totaling approximately $27.8 million that was managed through OMB’s Grants Coordination.

  • ITD also deployed technology to assist the County’s Mosquito Control Unit in eradicating and reducing the transmission of the Zika virus. ITD developed several online applications to proactively plan and execute mosquito abatement measures. Some of these measures included responding to mosquito nuisance calls to 311 from residents and identifying areas for aerial and truck spraying and field data collection. In addition to the online apps, GIS was also being used to create static maps and reports as needed, these include maps of areas of transmission, 311 calls, County Commission inquiries and Emergency Management reports.
     
  • The Internal Services Department (ISD) has been maximizing efficiency by aggressively relocating County offices from privately-leased space into vacant County office space. Since Fiscal Year 2011-2012, the County has achieved annual recurring savings of $1.7 million of taxpayer dollars by moving County offices from privately-leased space into County space.

  • In June 2016, ISD opened the doors of the new Pet Adoption and Protection Center setting a new standard for animal rescue and care by focusing on providing a comfortable, relaxed environment for homeless pets and enhancing the customer experience. The facility features advanced medical technology, equipment and an open floor plan design to increase and maximize surgical flow. Designed as a mall like layout to help create a pleasant pet adoption experience. Increased dog housing by more than 25 percent and cat housing almost doubled.

  • In 2016, ISD sold $5 million of surplus real property, both reducing the County’s maintenance costs and placing properties back on the tax roll. ISD is working to surplus another 300 properties in 2017.
     
  • Miami International Airport (MIA) launched version two of its free mobile app, MIA Airport Official, for airport passengers and visitors. Location-aware technology allows users to scan their boarding pass and immediately receive turn-by-turn, blue-dot navigation with estimated walk times, real-time flight updates, and shopping and dining suggestions nearby based on their customizable personal profile. MIA is also one of the first airports in the world to incorporate airport-wide data beacon technology with its mobile app to provide a cutting-edge, personalized travel experience.
     
  • MIA was recognized by the Airports Council International-North America with its 2016 Inclusion Champion Award in the Large Hub Airport category, which commends the proactive and innovative steps taken by the department to successfully achieve minority inclusion in its business contracts, workforce and employee development through a sustainable model.
     
  • MIA was selected by the American Association of Airport Executives’ Airport Innovation Accelerator to receive the inaugural 2016 Airport Innovation Award for its creative work to improve the passenger experience with programs and services such as: the MIA Airport Official mobile app; the MIAair special-needs dress-rehearsal program; the Sustainability Project at MIA; the MIA Connections digital magazine; the MIA Wall of Honor memorial; Miami Begins with Me customer service training; and MIAmamas nursing suites.
     
  • In March, MIA won Best Airport for Shopping honors in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, for its overall retail program. The 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards were voted on by more than 83,000 USA Today readers.
     
  • MIA installed eight MIAmamas nursing suites – one for each of its concourses – to provide a private, comfortable place for pumping and nursing mothers to feed their babies while traveling.
     
  • MIA opened Plane Fun, an interactive children’s play and learn area in the center of the airport, developed in partnership with the Miami Children’s Museum.

 

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