Miami City Commission moves Safe & Ready Miami public safety bond to November ballot
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On July 9, 2026, the Miami City Commission approved placing Mayor Eileen Higgins’ “Safe & Ready Miami” public safety bond on the November 3, 2026 ballot—setting up a major voter decision on whether the city can borrow up to $450 million for police and fire-rescue facilities.
City leaders say the goal is to repair, modernize, and rebuild aging public safety infrastructure. But the borrowing itself won’t move forward unless voters approve the referendum this fall.
What the City Commission approved on July 9
According to the City of Miami notice, commissioners approved putting the Safe & Ready Miami measure before voters after advancing a plan to address conditions in the city’s police headquarters and fire stations. The notice says the bond would authorize up to $450 million in General Obligation Bonds.
The same city notice frames the financing as not increasing the current debt millage rate for residents. It also identifies the measure as a way to support upgrades to fire stations, deferred maintenance, and construction plans tied to a “mission-ready” Public Safety Headquarters.
What voters will see on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot
Miami voters will cast ballots in a “Special Bond Referendum” on November 3, 2026, asking whether to authorize the Safe & Ready Miami bond.
The city notice says the bond would be repaid through ad valorem taxes within the city’s current maximum debt millage rate of 0.5935 mills, and that the measure includes independent annual audits for accountability and transparency.
Reporting from the Miami Herald adds that, before the Commission’s vote, commissioners adopted amendments advanced by Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela. Those changes—described by the Herald—include requiring:
- Future proceeds from the sale of the city’s current police headquarters to help pay down bond debt or reduce borrowing.
- Any grants secured specifically for bond-funded projects to be used to reduce borrowing or pay down the debt.
- The city’s best efforts to use future developer community benefit contributions to offset project costs when feasible.
What the bond is intended to fund
City of Miami details describe conditions intended to justify the request:
- Police headquarters: The notice says the current Police Headquarters opened in 1976, was designed for about 560 officers, and now houses roughly 1,390 sworn personnel and 400 additional staff.
- Fire-rescue stations: The notice says eight of the city’s 17 fire-rescue stations are more than 50 years old, and two are more than 60 years old, with some facilities unable to accommodate modern emergency vehicles.
If approved by voters, the city notice says the Safe & Ready Miami bond would support upgrades such as modernizing fire stations, constructing new stations where needed, addressing severe deferred maintenance, and building a mission-ready Public Safety Headquarters for today’s police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders.
Local reporting also describes additional dollar estimates tied to the plan. The Miami Herald, for example, reported that the unified public safety building is estimated to cost about $300 million, and Coconut Grove Spotlight reported an estimate of the overall borrowing cost including principal, interest, and issuance costs.
Why this matters to residents
This ballot measure is a direct “yes or no” decision on whether Miami can borrow up to $450 million to address public safety facility needs. Residents will also be asked to consider what the City says is a financing framework designed to operate within existing debt limits—using ad valorem taxes within the current maximum debt millage rate—rather than raising that rate.
Either way, the Commission’s July 9 action is the first gate. The next gate is the vote on November 3.
What to watch next
As Election Day approaches, the Miami Herald reported that the city attorney’s office is finalizing ballot language for the referendum. Residents can also follow city updates through SafeAndReadyMiami.com, which the City says will provide project information and ongoing coverage of the measure.
Sources
- City of Miami — Safe & Ready bond approval notice (official city notice)
- Miami Herald — coverage of the bond being sent to the November ballot (July 10, 2026 report on July 9 vote)
- Coconut Grove Spotlight — Commission sends $450M public safety bond to November ballot (July 9, 2026)
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