Sally A. Heyman has been representing Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, 11 other municipalities and unincorporated areas on the Miami-Dade County Commission since 2002. Previously, she has served on the North Miami Beach City Council and in the Florida House of Representatives. She’s worked on a host of major issues, from human services to homeland security, transportation to growth management. Her background is in criminal justice and she holds a law degree from the University of Miami. She maintains her own consulting business specializing in premises liability and criminal victimization.

County Commissioner Sally Heyman

She’s speaking with talkofaventura.com at a time when the county is facing acute budget problems brought on by the economic downtown and the resulting slide in property values.

TOA: Countywide, we’re looking at a decline in real property values exceeding 9 percent. That’s got to make this round of budgeting tough. Are we looking at tax hikes, service cuts or both?

Heyman: This budget will be extremely challenging.  The property values in my district have declined in excess of 10 percent and countywide over 9.5 percent.  Additionally, the county – in it’s financial restructuring through bond sales and posturing for baseball stadium funding (I voted no) -- has increased out debt obligations and exposed our general fund revenues.

My priority is to get rid of the waste, reduce operating costs and increase efficiency of services we provide.  While eliminating 'perk' programs and scrutinize non-essential services, we need a concerted effort of pursuing/increasing our public/private partnerships, to decrease our operating costs.

In this time of economic hardship old practices need to be revisited and luxuries, from the top down, need to cease.

TOA: Are any specific services or capital projects near and dear to the hearts of Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach residents on the chopping block?

Heyman: The easy answer is no to capital projects.  Representing 13 cities and several UMSA areas, I am fortunate to have a great working relationship with the administration and elected representation and high regard for staff professionalism to monitor intergovernmental matters.

Specific to capital projects, all District 4 cities put forth requests and received fund from the general obligation bonds.  Aventura’s capital project that is still 'pending', but is funded from general obligation bonds is the Northeast Dade library and is 'in progress.' The project delay is not a result of funding, but of years of dialog regarding design, combining a cultural center and mitigation related to demolition.  Sunny Isles Beach’s capital project, that is still 'pending', but is funded from general obligation bonds and is 'in progress' is beach renourishment.  The delay in beach renourishment was not in funding, but federal regulation regarding sand fill.  Incidental capital improvements -- road, water and sewer, etc. -- will be downsized, but continued.

As it relates to services, last year Team Metro offices were downsized from countywide to five regional offices: Northeast Dade remaining open.  This year, through further consolidation and restructuring to a General Information Center, this office located in the Skylake Mall will be closed Aug. 1.  However, cutting budgeted lease costs and personnel working there, Team Metro-GIC services will be altered to persons working at the North Dade Justice Center, a county government building.  The impact of different delivery of services will affect all of Northeast Dade municipalities and unincorporated areas.

TOA: The collapse of Tri-Rail is troubling, both from a public policy perspective and from the perspective of those of us who drive already crowded freeways. What went wrong and is there any way to get it back on track (pardon the pun)?

Heyman: Bad politics over public policy dictated the legislature’s failure to fund this valuable program.  A multi-billion dollar state deficit and a diversion of transit funds out of South Florida was a state decision that lacked common sense and logic. I applaud the Tri-Rail group for shifting funds to keep this successful transit operation at its current service level this year, while they work on  future funding.  I will continue to work for the recovery and reparation of the system.  Hopefully pressure from the federal government (i.e. loss of federal transit dollars for Florida) and our current CFO Alex Sink running for governor will result in the dedication of dollars back towards the Tri-Rail system and South Florida.  Our community needs to step up and speak out on the need for Tri-Rail, its success in ridership and the hardship to us residents and commuters if we loose this service.

TOA: With hurricane season upon us, are you satisfied that the county has done everything it can to be prepared for whatever comes our way?

Heyman: At the government level, I feel that we are ready.  We have a new Emergency Operations Center director in Miami-Dade County and he is supportive of maintaining regional operations in North Dade.  The greatest concern I have is to that, the public is not assuming personal responsibility for their own preparations.

All of the area cities in District 4 have their own plans in case of an emergency or disaster.  Our district plan and preparations have been updated for the upcoming hurricane season thru the direct involvement with every city manager and police chief and in the unincorporated areas with MDPD and others.

What is in place, specific to Northeast Dade government, is a regional EOC site for government decision makers; distribution location for supplies for government access and dissemination, and mutual aid plans with all government departments.  Additionally, we have public/public and public/private partnerships and plans in place with utilities, fuel services, hospitals and home improvement facilities.

TOA: We’re about 18 months from the end of your second term on the county commission. It’s got to be a tough and tiring job. Is it still rewarding for you and are you planning on seeking a third term?

Heyman: I love public service, love being a public servant and find politics to be a great venue to serve the people.  I would classify public office and specifically my role as county commissioner as ìchallenging and rewarding,î not ìtough and tiring.î

The challenges are more pronounced because of an exceptional – far reaching bad economy; loss of federal and state funds; greater needs and more hardships in this depressed economy and greater demand for government assistance and help.

I am committed to continue county government representation to the district and be the voice of our district downtown.  I have filed papers for re-election, reaffirming my intentions to continue as the District 4 county commissioner, working with and for the people.