Motivated by You. Delivering for You. Committed to You.
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Dear Friends of District 8,
On August 28 I was re-elected to serve as your County Commissioner for District 8. I am truly honored that the residents of South Dade have again entrusted me to represent our communities. I am very
excited to continue my service
for another four year term.
Since November of 2014 I have worked hard to be the best representative possible and to
fight for South Dade’s fair share
. I encourage you to read my annual reports highlighting the accomplishments for District 8 in
Year One
,
Year Two
and
Year Three
. Stay tuned for our Year Four report due out in November.
My priority as your Commissioner is to continue to
make our government more accountable and trustworthy
, and to deliver results. I will work hard for our residents and businesses to improve traffic, create jobs, provide public safety, and protect our pets, parks and environment.
Yours for a great District 8,
Daniella
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Improving Our Economy

We had a
successful South Dade Job Fair
on September 24 with 24 local companies hiring and more than 200 job seekers. Thank you Senator Annette Taddeo, CareerSource South Florida and Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board for co-sponsoring the big event and supporting prosperity for all in South Dade.
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Affordable Housing
In an effort to address the housing crisis gripping this County, I launched the District 8 Infill Housing Program to
build housing for working families on County-owned land.
Developers are invited to participate. Applications are due October 31.
Read more
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Government Accountability
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On September 20 the Board of County Commissioners approved a new budget. We were able to
secure a number of important improvements in the 2018-19 County budget
including:
- Putting the safety of our children first by ensuring that we have an officer at every school during this transitional year of the State law, and that we increase the total number of officers on patrol in South Dade.
- Protecting pets by improving response times to calls about stray animals and ensuring animal abuse cases are investigated; and adding resources to increase the number of spay and neuter surgeries performed this year, including commitments by ASD to work with me on a geographically focused spay and neuter campaign.
- A continued commitment to our avocado industry in the struggle to stop the spread of Laurel Wilt disease by providing matching funds for the replacement and removal of infected trees.
- More resources to invest in local neighborhood parks. We’ve worked hard to improve and enhance 18 parks in District 8 in my first term, and look forward to continuing to make our community parks great places for our families to enjoy.
- Implementing climate solutions, both in aggressively cutting our carbon footprint and preparing for sea level rise, and keeping our resiliency efforts moving forward. The County will be bolstering its Resilience Office to ensure that the numerous efforts for both reducing our carbon emissions and adapting to our changing future continue apace.
- Dedicating more resources in the Office of Consumer Protection to handle wage theft complaints and protect victims of abuse.
- Protecting our groundwater from pollution by dramatically expanding the number of neighborhood trash stations that accept used motor oil so it doesn’t “show up” in our farm fields and vacant lots or get illegally dumped in storm drains.
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The Board of County Commissioners on September 5 unanimously supported my resolution directing the County to continue to use the resources of the U.S. Department of Energy’s SolSmart program and to further
improve the solar installation permitting process
for residences and businesses.
Read more.
Pictured from left to right, solar energy advocates Simon Rose, Jody Finver, Commissioner Levine Cava and Sharon Van Smith.
On Oct. 2 the Board unanimously adopted my ordinance that would require cities to provide
real-time data for trolley and local circulator bus services
to the County. The trolley information would be integrated into the County transit tracker app, making transit trip planning seamless for riders.
Read more.
Also adopted with unanimous support is my resolution
setting aggressive fuel reduction goals
for the County fleet of cars, trucks, buses, and heavy machinery and getting at least half of the Miami-Dade Transit fleet to go electric.
Read more.
Miami-Dade voters were winners on September 20 when democracy triumphed! I was proud to sponsor a resolution that created an
additional early voting location coming soon
to Miami Dade College North. My motion passed 12-1 and the Mayor plans to bring another site to MDC South.
Read more.
I’m grateful to my Board colleagues for unanimously supporting my measure
opposing the change to the “public charge” rule
. The proposed rule will target approximately 382,000 legal immigrants in the U.S. who will now be at risk of not being able to attain green cards.
Read more.
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Senator Annette Taddeo and I had a delicious time
welcoming new officers of the Miami-Dade Police Department Kendall District with coffee and donuts on September 18. We also had a chance to meet employees that have been working at Dadeland Mall for nearly 40 years and many engaged residents.
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I was delighted to participate in the
Grand Opening of the Miami-Dade County Courts Self-Help Program
at the South Dade Justice Center in Cutler Bay on September 26. Please help us spread the word that this great program is available to increase access to the courts for the many South Dade self-represented litigants involved in family court and other legal matters.
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Preserving and improving our parks and open spaces is critical to our quality of life. On September 13 I was delighted to meet with residents to discuss the new amenities,
Futsal soccer courts and swimming pool coming soon to South Dade Park.
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Thank you South Florida Water Management District and Miami-Dade County RER for your
leadership on water issues at our community discussion on September 11, and to our host the Village of Palmetto Bay. I appreciate all the insight and advocacy of the participating local
water warriors.
Watch here.
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Supporting Our Homeowners
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I was honored to join the
Devon Aire Homeowners Association at their annual board meeting and election of officers on September 4. It’s always a pleasure to get together with these dedicated community leaders.
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Family and friends celebrated the loving, funny and beautiful young man Anthony Mellado who lost his life due to a heart condition.
We dedicated a roadway in honor of Anthony as a reminder of his life and a call to action for other parents to test their children for heart disease.
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Supporting Our Businesses: Gringa Flan
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Check out this District 8
small business success story and treat yourself to some absolutely delicious
Gringa Flan!
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Constituent of the Month: Alvaro Perpuly
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Alvaro is a Coral Reef Senior High student and member of the Miami-Dade Youth Commission. He did an outstanding job interning in the District 8 office this summer and
received the Mayor’s Shining Scholar Award on September 5 (pictured with his father). We commend Alvaro’s hard work and commitment to civic
engagement
, and wish him the best of luck in his future government aspirations.
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Highlighting Our Nonprofits:
Genesis Hopeful Haven
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District 8 Nonprofit Academy graduate,
Genesis Hopeful Haven
, was founded with the intention of
improving the lives of children in foster care
. This special organization provides vulnerable and at-risk children a safe place to reside, a fresh start, and hope for the future. They focus on the areas of greatest need within the system -- keeping siblings together and assisting children who are aging out of foster care.
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Meet Brian!
Brian (A1965033) is a 1 year old, very unique, Black Mouth Cur Mix. He loves to go outside in play groups with other pups and is always full of energy! Please stop by the
Pet Adoption Center
and see for yourself. But beware, you may go home with more than just one irresistible furry friend!
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Every Saturday, 11AM - 3:30PM
PetSmart across from Falls Mall
Operation HOPE
Oct 6, Homestead Capital Bank
Oct 6, Homestead Harris Field
Oct 6, Cauley Square
Oct 9, Palmetto Bay
Oct 13-14, Fruit & Spice Park
Calling All Volunteers!
Oct 13-14, Leisure City
Oct 15-19, Cutler Bay
Oct 24, Cutler Bay
Oct 26, Cutler Bay
Oct 26, Cutler Bay
October 27, Homestead Harris Field
Scary stuff in the haunting season!
Where a New Season Shines

Great Family Entertainment
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Recycling Tip of the Month
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Reuse Your Grass Clippings
Recycled grass clippings and leaves will act as a mulch or fertilizer, providing valuable nutrients to the lawn or landscaping. The bottom line, if not recycling or mulching when the work is done, help prevent clogged storm drains. Don’t Blow It, Bag It!
Read More
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Be Election Ready!
The November 6 General Election is just a few weeks away. Early voting will run October 22 to November 4, 7 days per week from 7 am to 7 pm. Registration is open until October 9. And absentee ballots may be requested until October 31.
Voters are urged to review their specific Sample Ballot and prepare now!
There are a lot of candidates and a lot of questions, which means a long ballot and long lines at the poll, so make a plan to vote and put your rights into action
Read more
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The
Rebuild Florida program is now available to help homeowners recover from Hurricane Irma. For assistance, visit
RebuildFlorida.gov.
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Help Wanted!
Are you interested in serving your community? Please
consider joining a County Advisory Board. These boards serve a vital function by advising the Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners on a variety of topics ranging from art and architecture to military and construction. For more information, contact Jason Smith at
jtsmith@miamidade.gov or 305-375-5218.
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