Miami Gardens wants Dolphins property-tax revenue “forever”
If Sun Life Stadium stops paying property taxes, Miami Gardens wants a deal to keep the same amount of revenue flowing to the city “forever,” the stadium’s hometown mayor said Wednesday.
The executives atop Miami-Dade’s school system and the city of Miami Gardens both issued statements emphasizing they expect to be compensated if a tax-relief proposal by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, which would transfer ownership of Sun Life Stadium to the government in exchange for a privately financed renovation, goes through.
The swap would free the team of about $3.8 million in property taxes, including $1.3 million earmarked for public schools and about $1.1 million to Miami Gardens, where Sun Life is the top taxpayer. On Wednesday morning, Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert said the city must not lose money in the deal.
“What’s of utmost concern to me,’’ Gilbert said in a statement, is “that the City of Miami Gardens continues to receive revenues at a level that represents what the City would receive from Property taxes on Dolphin Stadium forever, without regard to franchise or conveyance of the property.”