Reso 2007-1027 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Govemmelll Miami-Dade County is comprised of unincorporated areas, as well as 34 municipalities, the largest of which is the city of Miami. Miami-Dade County is governed under a modified two-tier metropolitan government. The purpose of this type government was to establish one governing body for the county, and to establish one supply of services such as fire, police, etc. for the county, The upper tier is the County, which provides broad "regional" or county functions, such as metropolitan planning, welfare, health and transit services, The thirty-one municipalities represent the lower tier of government, providing a varying array of services within their jurisdictional boundaries, The County also maintains lower tier functions, such as the provision of municipal-type services, including police and fire, to the unincorporated areas and certain municipalities on a negotiated basis. The County operates under the Commission-Manager form of government. Legislative and poIicy- making authority is vested in the elected thirteen-member Board of County Commissioners; the Commission appointed County Manager is the chief administrator, Miami -Dade County has operated under the metropolitan form of government since 1957, when the Home Rule Charter was passed by the local electorate. Prior to Home Rule, the County had to rely on the State Legislature for the enactment of its laws. County government had not been able to respond to the tremendous demand for municipal services in this rapidly urbanizing area, which is larger than the State of Rhode Island or Delaware. The need to combine services duplicated by the County and numerous cities was also clearly evident. The Charter permitted the limited County government to reorganize into a general purpose "municipal- type" government capable of performing the full range of public functions into an area wide operation. Real Estate At the end of2005, the Miami-Dade County Office Market contained approximately 49.27 million square feet of office space. Approximately 27.1 % of this space is located in the Miami central business district and adjacent Brickell Avenue and 23.4% in the rapidly growing Airport West area, There was an increase in the occupancy rate of office buildings in Miami-Dade County from 89% in 2004 to 91 % in 2005. Since 2002, there was an increase in occupancy from 84%. The net absorption for the county was 1.74 million square feet during 2005, Office rental rates in new buildings typically range from $22.50 to $34.00 per square foot. The low end of the range is for office space in the suburban markets, The upper end of the range is for first class office space in Downtown Miami, Brickell A venue, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. QUINLIVAN APPRAISAL 15