MIAMI – Miami-Dade County's proposed budget released Tuesday included dozens of new correctional jobs and multimillion dollar upgrades at detention centers.
Other General Obligation Bond program projects:
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If Mayor Carlos Gimenez' proposed budget is approved, the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department will also be able to hire 198 workers, according to the proposed budget.
Metro West Detention Center, 13850 NW 41 St. and Pre-Trial Detention Center, 1321 NW 13th St. were set to get upgrades, while a new facility next to the Krome Detention Center, which would be built on a Miami-Dade County property adjacent to 18201 SW 12 St.
The proposal's capital plan includes millions from The Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program to fund construction projects at Krome and at the Pre-Trial Detention Center.
Aside from funding public safety projects, the bond program is also used to fund projects related to culture and education, healthcare, affordable housing, infrastructure, parks and recreation and water and sewer.
On Nov. 2, 2004, the voters of Miami-Dade County approved the $2.9 billion Building Better Communities Bond Program which allows the county to issue long-term bonds to fund more than 300 neighborhood and regional capital projects to be completed over the next 15 years.
The proposed budget includes $87.5 million from the bond program to fund a $330 million project to build a new detention center with 2,000 beds on county land adjacent to the federal government property, Miami-Dade County spokesman Mike Hernandez said.
The proposed budget and multi-year capital plan's capital highlights section said there was a $242.5 million shortfall for the project at Krome, and "alternate strategies continue to be explored to fund this project."
Hernandez said the cost would likely exceed $350 million and be a public-private partnership.
The proposed budget also included about $7.8 million from the bond program to fund $47 million renovations at the Pre-Trial center. About $700,000 would help move forward a $3.6 million project to replace windows at Metro West's housing.
(Clarification: In a previous version of this story, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-operated Krome Detention Center was mistakenly referenced as one of three facilities slated to receive upgrades under the proposed budget. Local 10 News regrets the error.)
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