Remarks by Robert L. Stephens III
18 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 11:20
“God, our Father, we thank you for your grace. We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for the opportunity to gather collectively as a community. It is in this moment, God, I pray that you give my colleagues and I your wisdom, your knowledge, and your understanding as we prepare to deliberate business that ultimately affect our people. It is in this moment we pray that you continue to bless the city of Miami Gardens, bless the residents, stakeholders, everyone that has something to do with this city being home. Father, if you give us all these blessings, we promise we'll give you all the…”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 43:26
“Mr. Mayor? Yes. I have a few questions. Clay, thank you for your presentation. I know we have met time and time again as we prepared the budget. My question is centered around infrastructure. Yes, sir. I want to go directly to the infrastructure line items in the budget. So if you can do me a favor and highlight the projects that we've been able to complete in this current budget cycle and what that project projection for the new budget cycle looks like as well.”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 45:26
“That's the projects that we've completed, or that's projected?”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 46:14
“Did we increase the amount of funding? And here's why I asked, did we increase? With the uncertainty surrounding property tax revenue at the state level, and the critical infrastructure investments that we have, especially centered around seawalls, I wonder if there's a way that we can prioritize and accelerate in this budget, the current budget, while we still have the financial capacity to be able to do so. So if there's a certain amount of projects that is centered, I mean, that's scheduled for years to come, How can we accelerate it so that we can take care of those things? Because I…”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 48:07
“Okay so I guess I just want to know how can we Outside of the grant funds, right? Because that subject, that can stop. The grant funds can stop. The federal government can decide, we don't want to put money towards that anymore. We don't want to give municipalities money towards that anymore. How can we ensure that these projects won't stop with this budget?”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 49:26
“I got you. And I guess this is also a conversation that my colleagues and I, we would need to start having when it comes down to the legislative priorities and seeing how we can direct our lobbyists and our team of legislators, our state reps and our state senators on the major infrastructure projects that we can essentially secure from the state level as well. In our federal, just to ensure that these projects don't go down the drain. I am concerned. Oh, I know, right? I am a little concerned that with the reduction of the budget, how we will ensure that these infrastructure projects won't…”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 53:20
“I got you. Let me ask you, the 15% for local non-for-profit organizations, do you see if we were to allocate the funding and drop that percentage to maybe 12% and reallocate or redirect those funds to more of assistance would that what of a difference would that look like because and the reason why i'm asking that is because i believe we get more requests from residents for assistance than we do through our local non-for-profits not to say that they don't need it because i'm a huge huge supporter of non-for-profit organizations. I believe in the work that our non-for-profits are doing. But if…”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 54:49
“I don't do math. I don't want to pull so much from the none-for-profits that we do annually. I don't want to pull so much from it, but I do want to increase the number of assistance to the different programs that we have in our community development fund right so that is home renovation seniors assistance all of that i do want to increase that number but i don't want to pull tremendously from our local non-for-profit so you guys know the budget better so if there's an area where you identify that we can redirect or reallocate versus pulling from the local non-for-profit percentage, then I'm…”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:07:09
“Mayor, I just want to highlight that, I want to put emphasis on this proposed budget that we have here is preparing us should this tax elimination bill pass in November. um and then we will be able to if it don't pass we'll be able to have conversation as it relates to amending the budget and moving forward with those things right i just want to put that out there i want everyone to understand that that's what we're we're basically being proactive right yes okay so i just want to make sure we're indicating that And that necessarily, and I know Councilman Wilson just spoke about the special…”
Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 15:58
“I don't have a question. Well, it's not more so of a question. It's about moving forward. So should the voters of the state decide to move forward with the elimination of property taxes and an implementation plan is put in place? how would we go about with the implementing of the new budget that would basically include the cuts and the adjustments?”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 17:10
“So the budget that my colleagues and I will vote on with the first and second hearing in September, that would be with the proposed cuts?”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 17:26
“I thought the proposed cuts wasn't going to be, that wouldn't take place unless it was, I mean, unless it passed in November. That was the purpose of me saying how would that implementation look, what that implementation would look like. Do you get what I'm saying?”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 17:45
“So why are we voting on the cut of the budget if we don't necessarily know what's to come?”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 18:33
“Okay, I'm fine with either or, but it wouldn't be implementing cuts because we have two prepared, but we basically have a tail of two budgets, so it wouldn't be implement. We know what we're looking forward and how we'd be moving forward, so it wouldn't be that, but I'm cool with either or. I just was curious as it relates to moving forward, why would we do that? But okay, thank you. Sure.”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 19:56
“So I think that's important as well, that we can always do a budget amendment to bring back or to unfreeze the 81 positions and all of that. So I think although we're working towards being prepared should this happen in November based off the voter's decision, but I don't want to shy away from 81 cuts is an interruption to municipal services because although we're functioning now without them, but that doesn't mean one don't need it to effectively do their job. So that's what the reality hit in for me when I heard that and saw that. I was like, yeah, okay, this is actually really happening.…”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 5:04
“Father God, we pray for your continuing blessings. We pray that you continue to grant your knowledge, your wisdom, and your understanding upon my colleagues and I as we prepare to deliberate on business that ultimately affect your people. Father, we pray that you continue to be our guider, lead us, and get us through this entire process. Bless the residents, bless the community at large, and God, we promise we'll give you all the praise, honor, and glory that your precious name deserves. It is in your son Jesus Christ's name I do pray. Amen. Amen.”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 7:22
“The inaugural council member for seat six. That's important.”
Council · Jul 22, 2026
- Play at 14:29
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Council · Jul 22, 2026