Spotlight On: Rodney Harris, Mayor, City of Miami Gardens
March 2025 — No longer a small, emerging city, Miami Gardens is pulling its weight as one of the premier cities in Miami-Dade County. A solid financial profile has allowed the city to renovate its public offerings while ushering developments for commercial and residential growth. In an interview with Invest:, Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris highlights how the city continues to brand itself as a key live, work and play destination in the South Florida region.
What has been the success of key events such as Jazz in the Gardens for the city?
Jazz in the Gardens was started 18 years ago as a music festival. It has grown tremendously and concertgoers from all over the country and the world say that it is more than just a festival but a cultural experience. They have an opportunity to experience different foods, cultures and musical genres. This type of event brings a revenue source not only for the city but for the entire South Florida region. This event brings more than 30,000 visitors for the weekend which fills up hotel rooms in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties while also helping local business as well. When those visitors are in town, they will fill up restaurants and stores which brings money back into the local communities. This is what the festival is all about. It helps brand the city of Miami Gardens.
What are your priorities as mayor in your second term?
We will focus on the continued economic development happening in the city of Miami Gardens. We are evaluating the possibility of building our performing arts center. We have broken ground on our 35-acre site and are currently in the design phase. This site will be our City Center and will include hotels, restaurants, and other entertainment venues. It will also feature the world’s first Formula One museum.
We annexed a major part of the north Dade area.. We also are concluding our bond implementation process that was approved in 2014 where the community voted for a $60 million bond. We are close to 80% finished with renovating the city’s parks — close to 18 parks in total. For the next four years, we will concentrate on completing the things that we promised. We look forward to the possibilities of what Miami Gardens can become. We believe this is one of the premier cities in the country. We know it’s one of the premier cities in Miami-Dade County. And with roughly $60 million in our surplus, we passed our budget last year of $165 million, which means we are no longer a small city and we are doing well.
How do you balance growth with quality of life for residents?
Our top priority is to ensure that our residents are taken care of and get the best quality of life. This means the best municipal services. In reference to the growth of the city, we meet with developers that want to come here and we let them know that by coming to the city, they have to invest back into Miami Gardens and the local community so our residents can feel a sense of appreciation. This has been my focus as mayor, thinking about how the private and public sectors can collaborate to create an atmosphere of brotherhood and friendship while also giving our residents the best possible services.
For example, the public-private partnership with the Miami Dolphins and the stadium continues to grow. The same can be said when Formula One came in. There was a community benefits package that included $5 million for the benefit of our residents. The funds may help residents with roofing issues, for example, who may not have insurance and we are able to tap into those funds to help our residents.
What are the main industries driving growth for the city?
There are several markets driving growth in the city. We are known as the sports capital of Florida with the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Hurricanes, the Miami Tennis Open and Formula One. We have the college football national championship coming to town and have hosted several super bowls. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is also on the horizon. There is an impact in this space that has propelled Miami Gardens to a high level.
For the last 12 years, we have not had to increase our millage rate, which remains at 6.9%. We have not placed the burden of taxes on the backs of our residents. As far as commercial space goes, we have more than 4 million square feet of commercial space available that is luring companies into the city. Companies like Citi Furniture, Peloton, and Amazon are coming into our community, which generates jobs. We look forward to growing the partnerships that come with those types of investments. Also, for every dollar of public investment we have generated over $30 in private investments. This is a big investment coming from the private sector that we believe will put the city in a position where it will be driving in billions of dollars in a few years.
What makes Miami Gardens a great place to live, work and play?
One is the fact that we have not had to raise the millage rate in over a decade. Our tax base continues to be at a steady level and there is opportunity for growth available for businesses. Companies can come to the city and reap a return. There are also opportunities for major companies to settle in the city because of the millions of square feet in commercial space available in the city. We have spent $26 million in improving our parks and another $36 million in road and drainage improvements, which public infrastructure projects drive private development. These investments are generating revenues that are staying in the city. We try to create an atmosphere where people can live, work and play in Miami Gardens.
What are the current challenges facing the city?
Our home values have increased dramatically. Some people feel that they are being priced out of their homes. These are some of the impacts that come with living in South Florida. When companies come in, they will bring their workers with them who will need places to stay and who will purchase homes in our area. Affordable housing will continue to be a challenge. As elected officials, we need to look at the definition of affordable housing. What may be affordable for some people is not affordable for others. This needs to be a conversation that as elected officials we need to have. We need to figure out solutions, such as building smaller houses, for example, to be innovative with how we move forward with affordable housing.
Transportation is another area that we need to evaluate. As the city grows, so grows the traffic into our community and we need to get ahead of these issues. We are looking at the possibility of having rail in the city. We are part of the county’s SMART plan, so we are excited to be part of the countywide transportation plan.
What is your outlook for the city of Miami Gardens moving forward?
We are proud of our strong bond ratings and are financially sound. We have done great work with our surplus of more than $60 million. The investments we are making in the public-private sector have propelled us. We look forward to strengthening relationships with current and future developers to make sure that investments made are in the best interest of our residents.
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