Category: Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)

Mar 3, 2022 5:30 AM

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Thanks to Miami commission pals, troubled Alex Diaz de la Portilla takes control again of $66-million Omni CRA

By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla seems like an unlikely candidate to provide ethical, professional stewardship of a semi-autonomous agency with a $66-million annual budget. Since assuming office nearly three years ago, Diaz de la Portilla allegedly abused his elected position by meddling in police personnel and enforcement matters; is evading payment of a nearly $630,000 court judgment against him; and pals around with convicted felons who committed fraud, including a woman who currently works in his city commission office and a disgraced former city commissioner.
Dec 17, 2018 4:02 PM

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White property owners get full refunds for streetcar snafu, black community’s CRA takes hit

By Noreen Marcus
FloridaBulldog.org
Fort Lauderdale killed the controversial Wave streetcar in May and earlier this month the city announced that about $10 million in tax refund checks will go out on Feb. 1 to downtown property owners who paid a special tax to help build it. But a local agency created to clean up slum and blight that also kicked in heavily will up to $3 million hit.
Jun 12, 2016 5:25 AM

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Broward’s Inspector General probes Hallandale Beach CRA – again

By William Gjebre
FloridaBulldog.org
The Broward County Inspector General’s Office has launched another inquiry into Hallandale Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency, three years after finding the city “grossly mismanaged” millions of dollars in CRA funds.
Apr 8, 2016 5:19 AM

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A plan takes shape to fix Miami-Dade’s CRAs

By William Gjebre
FloridaBulldog.org
Miami-Dade commissioners would take greater control of community redevelopment agencies under a proposal that would tighten oversight and reduce funding, yet also require many CRAs to set aside dollars for much-needed affordable housing they have yet to provide.
Oct 20, 2015 5:41 AM

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Fort Lauderdale to use “poor people’s money” to subsidize transit for affluent?

By William Gjebre
FloridaBulldog.org
Fort Lauderdale’s recent approval of a no-bid contract to update the plan for the troubled Northwest-Progresso-Flagler Heights Community Redevelopment Agency has raised concerns about a lack of public input amid a rush to add projects not in the current plan at the expense of community needs.
Sep 15, 2015 6:28 AM

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Hollywood Beach CRA the target of moves to cut its funding, or kill it

By William Gjebre
FloridaBulldog.org
Hollywood City Commissioner Peter Hernandez says the Beach Community Redevelopment Agency should be abolished because it has had increasing property tax funds for its use — at times exceeding its needs — while the “rest of the city is starving” to pay for operations and needed improvements.