Community Advocates for Libraries in Miami

07/02/2026

We need your voice in the room.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is hosting a series of community conversations on the proposed 2026–2027 County budget, and this is an important opportunity for arts advocates to show up in support of full funding for Arts & Culture.

This year, the County is engaging residents earlier than ever in the budget planning process to discuss the needs of our communities and how to continue investing in the programs and services that help Miami-Dade thrive. We encourage our arts and culture community to attend and help make it clear that arts funding matters.

If you joined us last year, please wear your lime green Arts Action Alliance t-shirt to show unity and support. If you don’t have one, feel free to wear anything lime green.

There are several ways to participate:

Monday, July 6
Dennis Moss Cultural Arts Center
10950 SW 211 Street
Cutler Bay, FL 33189
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday, July 8
North Dade Regional Library
2455 NW 183 Street
Miami Gardens, FL 33056
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday, July 8
Virtual Town Hall via Zoom
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Register to attend in person:
https://feedback.miamidade.gov/jfe/form/SV_eY64dafR2xOVBwq

Attend the July 8 virtual town hall on Zoom:
https://miamidade.zoom.us/j/89988355482?pwd=0WE0a2RPWiyjxoIqcJMGeA5a1siQBp.1

Budget Timeline:
* July 15, 2026: Mayor presents the proposed spending plan and multi-year capital plan.
* July – August 2026: In-person town halls and public budget workshops hosted across the county.
* The 1st budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3, 2026.
* The 2nd budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2026.

Thank you for continuing to advocate for Miami-Dade’s arts and culture community. We hope to see you there in lime green and ready to show your support.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Conversations with Cava. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

06/12/2026

The power struggle from Tallahassee taking over county and municipal governments by siphoning off property tax.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZcrxj7xWR7/?igsh=MXNycGI3MHBvazZtNw==

06/08/2026

Critics argue his plan will decimate cities, counties, and local school districts.

06/08/2026

"None of this is being presented with any data," Brandes told CBS News Miami. "None of this has been presented with any analysis on county-by-county impact, city-by-city impact. What happens if there's a recession? What happens of housing values don't stay where they are? And then who gets hurt, right? Renters get nothing out of this. And if [local governments] jack up sales tax and water and other fees, they get harmed. Somebody's ox is going to get gored here. We need to spend some time to figure this out. And the fact that you're going to put this out on a Wednesday and vote on it on a Monday to me is just beyond the pale."

"Frankly, this is like the most bush-league rollout I have ever seen of a major proposal," Brandes added.

Critics argue his plan will decimate cities, counties, and local school districts.

06/08/2026

Florida’s tax-savings calculator is a slick sales pitch with a hidden price |

Opinion
​ by the Miami Herald Editorial BoardJune 2, 2026 12:45 PM

You’ve got to hand it to the state. It’s a clever idea, this “calculator” they’ve come up with to see how much money you, a Florida homeowner, could save if the governor’s proposal to expand property tax exemptions to $250,000 becomes reality.

It’s kind of fun. Plug in your address at saveourhomesfl.com and boom, it tells you how much money you might save.

This is smart and very crafty because it taps into a couple of things: the public’s deep-seated anger about how much everything costs, especially taxes, and the universal appeal of a get-rich-quick scheme.

Don’t fall for it. This is kind of like those “I-buy-ugly-homes” guys who send you a fake check in the mail to hook you. You know that check isn’t the amount you’d actually get in the end — maybe you’ll pay a lot of fees or their estimate will drop — but it still gives you a dopamine rush to look at all those zeros.

At its heart, this calculator is a sales tactic by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. It’s the gamification of our property tax problems. And even if you think you’re a winner, you may be the big loser in the end.

That’s because there’s a lot of fine print the calculator doesn’t take into account. Like DeSantis’ plan to roll back property taxes may ruin city and county budgets, including Miami-Dade’s. Or how the proposal could hand control of local spending to the state. That it may damage public safety. That you could wind up having to pay for a lot of the services you take for granted now, like libraries and parks.

And that DeSantis won’t be around — a new governor will be elected in November — to face the realities of his plan.

The creators of the calculator are no doubt hoping you’ll be blinded by visions of riches and ignore the potentially devastating results of this reckless push to drastically cut Florida’s main source of funding for basic government services. Counties could lose as much as $10 billion under a $250,000 exemption applied to primary homes, according to estimates.

There are a few caveats on the website. One line says, “Estimates are shown for illustration and are not a tax bill.” Another notes that the “Save Our Homes Tax Savings Estimator is provided for informational purposes.” It warns: “Actual tax amounts may vary based on parcel status, exemptions, assessments, local tax rates, and other factors.”

There’s also a big red button beckoning at the top of the page: savings calculator. Which one will most people pay attention to?

Also, the estimated savings for homeowners have decreased since the state created the website. On Monday, lawmakers voted to protect public education from the tax cuts, meaning that homeowners would still have to pay taxes to fund schools. The Legislature has until Wednesday to pass its version of DeSantis’ plan and send it to voters in November. It takes a 60% vote to pass a constitutional amendment, and counties and cities are going to get organized to oppose this.

Did we mention DeSantis also wants state lawmakers to approve a measure that would let his office spend $5.5 million in taxpayer dollars to have property appraisers send mailers to property owners about the amendment? The mailers would point homeowners to the website showing them how much they could save if the amendment is approved in November.

Never mind the law passed just last year prohibiting public money from being used for political advertising or “any other communication sent to electors” about a proposed amendment. It was aimed at DeSantis, who spent millions in state money to fight two other constitutional amendments on ma*****na and abortion.

The “calculator” is appealing, no doubt about it. But when you click on that red button, remember: The website talks about what you could get. But it doesn’t talk about what you could lose,

Relief for Florida Homeowners Use the Save Our Homes tax savings calculator to get a quick, personalized estimate of how much you could save on your property taxes based on available property data. Save Our Homes Tax Savings Calculator Homesteaded property owner? Search your address to view potentia...

03/22/2026

From pages to designs ➡️ don’t forget to check out all of the amazing vendors that will be at the Book Club Fair on April 11th! TaDa: The Art of Book Folding will be there, will you?!

02/10/2026

10/28/2024

At Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in New York on Sunday, a comic dismissed Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” another speaker likened Kamala Harris to a pr******te with “pimp handlers” and Tucker Carlson mocked Harris with a made-up ethnicity.

The inflammatory rally was a capstone for an increasingly aggrieved campaign for Donald Trump, whose rhetoric has grown darker and more menacing.

06/30/2023

All benefits to county workers are on the chopping block as the July 1 state law takes effect to demolish the unions.

Unless 60% of employee are signed up, the union is dismantled.

Organized collective bargaining resulted in health insurance, personal days, ability to roll over annual leave, etc. The three year contract about your employment is at stake.
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As you may be aware, the Legislature passed, and the Governor signed a new law affecting all public sector unions throughout the State except for the first responders. Some provisions of the law will be effective on July 1st, 2023. The provisions of the law which immediately impact our union are the prohibition of payroll dues deduction by government employers and requiring 60% of the bargaining unit to be dues-paying members, or the association will be decertified.

GSAF Workplace Legal Representation: GSAF provides its members with representation during disciplinary and administrative matters related to their employment such as Contractual Grievance Filing, Arbitrations and Appeals, Labor Management Committee Meetings, Classification Appeals and Impact Bargaining of Terms and Conditions of Employment. When appropriate GSAF's attorneys will also provide the member with representation.

GSAF Collective Bargaining Negotiations: GSAF's management team and its labor attorneys negotiate on behalf of its members with the county/city to obtain the most favorable legally binding collective bargaining agreements. We advocate for legal and administrative terms and articles to maximize, to the greatest extent possible, protections and benefits for our members.

OPEIU Free College Benefit: OPEIU members and their families can now earn an associate degree completely free of charge. Every member or retired member, as well as spouses, children, grandchildren and dependents of OPEIU members, can earn a two-year degree online for free. You read that right – free college just for being an OPEIU member in good standing with absolutely no out-of –pocket cost for tuition, fees or e-books. Go to FreeCollege.OPEIU.org for more information or call 888-590-9009

OPEIU Student Debt Reduction Program: This new benefit will help OPEIU members repay their student debt. The fund provides five awards of $2,500 each year to a member who has completed an associate or undergraduate degree and who can demonstrate they have at least $10,000 in student debt and their account is current.

Union Scholarships: Howard Coughlin Memorial Scholarship up to $6,500, John Kelly Labor Studies Scholarship Fund up to $3,250, Romeo Corbeil/Gilles Beauregard Scholarship Fund, Union Plus Scholarship Program with $150,000 awarded annually.

24 HR Sign & Drive Roadside Plan: Two towing/service calls per year for members and family living in the same household, valued up to $100 each.

Identity Theft Protection Service: An Internet Monitoring Service monitors the web for sensitive information about you sold on the black market: credit card, social security and bank account numbers, driver license, telephone, email etc. You then receive a monthly report. Register at www.OPEIUidProtect.com or by calling 855-990-0994

Member Legal Services: This benefit provides 30 minutes of free legal consultation on non-employment related issues.

Notary Public Services: Free Notary Public services for GSAF members.

Annual Member Appreciation Picnic: Every year the GSAF local organizes this great event for its members and their families with great food, fun, games and prizes.

Death Benefit: GSAF members with14 months of membership in good standing automatically qualify for and receive $3,000 in death benefit coverage. Plus $2,000 payable by ALICO insurance. This is a total of $5,000 Death Benefit coverage!

Accidental Death &Dismemberment Benefit: GSAF members with 14 months of membership in good standing receive $4,000 of coverage!

Medical Disability Benefit: GSAF members with 14 months of membership in good standing receive a $250 medical disability benefit.
Flowers and Bereavement Benefit

AFL-CIO Union Plus Benefits Program: Members can log on to: www.UnionPlus.org for web access showing and expanded list of additional benefits.

Working Advantage Discount Program: Members are able to register using the code 744387769 at www.workingadvantage.com or call 800.565.3712. Get up to 60% discount on movie tickets, theme parks, hotels, museums, zoos, attractions, shopping, theatre events and more.

OPEIU Disaster Relief Fund
Twenty-Five dollar ($25.00) bonus for Members signing up a New Member
Free Financial Advisor Analysis
Leadership and Union Organizing Trainings
CPR/Bleed Control Certified Training
White Collar newsletter subscription
Free OPEIU App download

Employee discount benefit and gift programs, providing corporate discounts on movie tickets, theme park tickets, Broadway tickets, ski tickets and gift certificates to companies of any size