Miami Voters Approve $450M Fire Station Bond
The first debt charge appears on 2027 tax bills, with fire station construction expected to start as early as 2027.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall
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Miami voters approved the $450 million Safe & Ready Miami bond with 60% of the vote, money that will rebuild aging fire stations and add new ones where response times have slowed. Taxpayers will start seeing a debt charge on their tax bills in 2027.
Why it matters
Miami has outgrown its 15 fire stations, and newer neighborhoods where development has boomed are the ones waiting longest for coverage. How the city handles the bond's lifetime cost, now projected to reach $700 million with interest, will shape what Miamians pay for years.
Voters approved the $450 million bond with 60% support, and the first round of debt is estimated at $2.38 per month for taxpayers. The city projects the total cost will reach $700 million with interest, and the sale of the existing police headquarters could bring in $70-100 million, though that figure remains a projection.
The players
Safe & Ready Miami bond
The $450 million bond measure that Miami voters approved to fund fire and police facility improvements.
Miami Fire Rescue
The city department that operates the 15 existing fire stations and will oversee the new and rebuilt stations.
The details
The bond will fund repairs to aging fire station infrastructure citywide, construction of new stations in areas with slower response times, and a $300 million police and fire headquarters at Freedom Park. The city will begin with the demolition of Fire Station 10 in Flagami to make way for a new station, and design work for several major projects is already done or underway. The city has also released an online dashboard so residents can track bond projects as they move forward.
Timeline
Nov. 3, 2026: Voters approve the Safe & Ready Miami bond.
Early 2027: Construction and repairs of fire stations are expected to begin.
2027: The first round of bond debt takes effect and a debt charge appears on tax bills.
Beyond the 305
This is the second large city bond in recent years, following the $400 million Miami Forever Bond approved by voters in 2017. Like that earlier measure, it finances public infrastructure through borrowing that residents repay on their tax bills.
Homeowners and renters who pay property taxes will see a new debt charge on their 2027 tax bill, estimated at about $2.38 per month in the first round. Residents in neighborhoods with slower fire response times should see new or rebuilt stations once construction moves forward.
The takeaway
The bond is a long-term commitment, and its total cost will reach about $700 million with interest, so it is worth following the city's online project dashboard as work moves forward. Watch for the start of Fire Station 10's demolition in Flagami and the Freedom Park headquarters timeline in the coming years.
What happens next
Construction and repairs are expected to begin in early 2027, and the first debt charge will appear on 2027 tax bills.
Further reading
For more on how the city runs its budget and bond decisions, see City Hall.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WLRN.
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Do you support Miami's $450 million bond for fire stations and public safety?
