Happy 45th Birthday, Commissioner. Who Gets the Presents?

Dear Neighbor

 Today is Danielle Cohen Higgins’ 45th birthday.
 Ordinarily, the birthday girl receives the presents.
 At County Hall, Danielle seems to prefer handing them out.
     

Her record includes supporting the giveaway of County-owned land to developer BlueNest for $10, voting to push development farther into environmentally sensitive South Dade, and sponsoring changes that made it easier to consider moving the Urban Development Boundary. 
     These decisions may be wrapped in phrases like “affordable housing” and “increasing housing supply,” but developers and politically connected insiders are the ones with their names on the gift tags.
     And Danielle does not forget the people closest to her.
     In 2022, she voted with the majority to more than double each commissioner’s annual compensation package, from approximately $61,100 to $138,500. That included increased expense and automobile allowances and larger retirement contributions. The raise was hidden inside the County’s massive budget and approved by a 7–5 vote. 
     Now she wants voters to approve another grift ... ummm ... gift.
     Cohen Higgins is sponsoring a proposed Charter amendment for the November ballot that would create an unelected salary commission to decide how much County commissioners should be paid. Commissioners would no longer have to endure the embarrassment of publicly voting themselves another increase. Someone else could do it for them. 
     

So happy 45th birthday, Commissioner Cohen Higgins.
     The cake and frosting are yours.
     The land, development rights, and public money belong to the taxpayers.
     Yet somehow, we always seem to be the ones paying for the presents.