Municipal Services

Reprinted from BHA News, Summer 1995
President's Column By T. Sinclair (Tory) Jacobs

The Brickell Homeowners Association is made up of 21 condominium associations ranging in size from four units to 552 units. The residences are located on Brickell Key and from 15th to 25th Roads on both sides of Brickell Avenue.

The City of Miami Finance Department records for 1994 show that BHA members represent 5.1% of the residential units in the City, and pay 9.3% of all residential property taxes collected by the City.

These numbers understate the neighborhood's contribution to the City tax rolls because our membership includes only condominium residences. The rental apartments and single-family home in the area also contribute tax income to the City.

New condominium properties under construction in the Brickell enclave, including Tequesta Point, St. Louis and Santa Maria, all of which are committed to BHA membership, will soon add materially to the City's property tax revenues.

Miami is a big city, spread out over many square miles. It is easy to overlook the fact that more than one of every 20 Miami residences are located in one small area, Brickell; and that more than $1 of every $11 in residential property tax revenues emanates from this few-block neighborhood.

We would anticipate that City officials be mindful of Brickell's share of the City's revenues when considering our requests for City services. However, when "push comes to shove" letters, faxes, telephone calls and, most effective, mass presence in the City Commission gallery are the motivators toward favorable action.

In other words, the squeaky wheel still gets the grease.