Miami Voters Approve $450 Million Safe & Ready Bond
The bond will fund fire station upgrades, new stations, and a $300 million police and fire headquarters at Freedom Park.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall
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Do you support Miami's $450 million bond for fire stations and public safety?
Miami voters approved the $450 million Safe & Ready Miami bond with 60% of the vote, funding public safety improvements citywide. The bond covers repairs to aging fire stations, construction of new stations in areas with slower response times, and a new police and fire headquarters.
Why it matters
Miami has outgrown its 15 existing fire stations, and demand for new stations exists in newer response areas where development has occurred. The bond gives the city a funding source to address those gaps in public safety infrastructure.
The bond totals $450 million and passed with 60% of the vote, with approval in every city district around that level. Residents will begin paying a debt charge on their tax bills in 2027, estimated at $2.38 per month for the first round.
The players
Miami Fire Rescue
The city department responsible for fire and rescue services across Miami's 15 existing fire stations, which will receive the bond-funded repairs and new construction.
Higgins
A Miami city official cited in coverage of the bond campaign, who referenced the 21% margin by which the measure was approved.
The details
The bond funds repairs to aging fire stations citywide, construction of new stations in slower-response areas, and a $300 million police and fire headquarters at Freedom Park. The city has also released an online dashboard to track bond projects, and demolition of Fire Station 10 in Flagami is set to begin as the first step.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Voters approved the Safe & Ready Miami bond.
Early 2027: Construction and repairs of fire stations are expected to begin.
2027: First round of bond debt is taken and the debt charge appears on tax bills.
Political Context
The $450 million bond follows the city's earlier $400 million Miami Forever Bond approved in 2017, continuing a pattern of large voter-approved borrowing for infrastructure. Its focus on fire and police facilities extends that model to public safety, which the city has now placed on the same financing track.
Residents will see a debt charge on their property tax bills starting in 2027, estimated at $2.38 per month for the first round. The bond also means improved fire station coverage in neighborhoods with slower response times.
The takeaway
Miami residents will pay for the Safe & Ready Miami bond through a tax charge beginning in 2027, so the project's costs will show up on property bills for years. Tracking the city's online bond dashboard is the clearest way to follow which fire and police projects move forward.
What happens next
Construction and repairs of fire stations are expected to begin in early 2027, and the first round of bond debt will appear on tax bills that year.
Further reading
For more on local government decisions, see City Hall coverage of Miami's budget and bond measures.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WLRN.
Live Poll
Do you support Miami's $450 million bond for fire stations and public safety?
