Aurelio Chum blows grass cuttings with a leaf blower on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Coral Gables in 2010.
Charles Mostoller
Miami Herald Staff
Gas blowback
Re: the Feb. 19 Miami Herald story, “Some Miami-Dade cities ban gas lawn equipment. Florida lawmakers want to end that.” While I vehemently object to State Sen. Keith Truenow’s effort to roll back bans on noisy and polluting lawn equipment, this legislation will have little or no effect due to the scoff law attitude of lawn service companies and the completely futile attempts of cities to enforce their regulations.
Miami Beach’s supposed 2022 ban has not improved the daily drone of blowers in my neighborhood. While contractors now appear to use quieter electric blowers, lawn service companies remain the primary noise polluters. Residents, as usual, are blown off by the Beach’s complete lack of enforcement. Sad.
Jeremy Hyne,
Miami Beach
Exemption deadline
March 1 is the deadline for Miami-Dade homeowners to file for homestead exemption and any other qualifying property tax exemption. If you purchased a home in 2025 and made it your primary residence, filing can reduce your property’s taxable value by up to $50,000 and help protect you from steep increases under Florida’s Save Our Homes protections.
Property taxes remain one of the biggest drivers of Florida’s affordability crisis. I hear it constantly from residents across our community, including seniors on fixed incomes, young families who stretched to buy their first home and parents trying to stay in their home. They are doing everything right, yet rising assessments continue to put pressure on their stability.
Homestead exemptions are important protections for homeowners, lowering taxable value and limiting how much the assessed value of a primary residence can increase each year, bringing predictability and protection against spikes that threaten families’ ability to remain in their homes.
Homeowners should also explore additional exemptions that may apply to their situation, including those for seniors who meet income limits, residents with qualifying disabilities, veterans and certain surviving spouses, deployed active duty military members and widowed homeowners.
Homeowners who moved to a new primary residence from another Florida homesteaded property should also review whether they qualify for portability. Florida law allows eligible homeowners to transfer up to $500,000 of their prior Save Our Homes benefit to a new homestead.
Apply through the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser, Tomas Regalado. If you are unsure whether you qualify, do not wait. Deadlines matter. This one helps protect your home. Missing the deadline could cost you thousands of dollars. For more information, visit miamidade.gov/pa.
Natalie Milian Orbis,
commissioner,
Miami-Dade County
Commendable work
Thank you, Miami Herald, for keeping the Jeffrey Epstein story on the front page. We cannot allow all the distractions — real and fabricated — to divert from or diminish the horrifying crimes committed against children and young victims. Everyone who participated in this terrible abuse must be brought to justice.
Kathleen Leitner,
Miami Lakes
Every vote counts
I urge everyone to support the proposal to elect the president by a national popular vote in all 50 states. Candidates rarely campaign in Florida. If our votes mattered, they would have to pay attention to us.
Daniel Carter,
Hialeah
Smart curbs
Every day, Miamians circle the block searching for a parking spot, dodge double-parked delivery trucks and weave around ride-hailing cars. Traffic jams, unsafe crosswalks, frustrated cyclists and delayed deliveries have become the norm.
A recent Miami Parking Authority (MPA) assessment found that only 18% of vehicles parked curbside are commercial, meaning 82% aren’t authorized to be there. That’s not just inconvenient, it’s a threat to safety, commerce and the flow of our city.
At MPA, we see the curb as more than asphalt. It’s critical infrastructure that keeps Miami moving, protects lives and supports businesses that fuel our economy. That’s why we’re launching a pilot program for real-time, curbside loading zones. The goal: reduce congestion, improve safety and help neighborhoods operate more effectively.
Cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have cut curbside congestion by nearly 40% through smart curb management. Miami can do the same.
For restaurants, retail and service businesses, timely deliveries aren’t optional; they’re the lifeblood of their operations. Managed loading zones prevent double-parking, blockages and endless circling. Pedestrians cross safely. Cyclists navigate streets with confidence. Traffic flows and businesses operate without interruption.
Our approach is powered by real-time data, enabling adjustments by neighborhood, time of day and season. This isn’t guesswork; it’s a well-thought-out strategy. Miami attracts world-class events and continues to expand. We must ensure our streets keep up. Smarter curbs today mean safer, faster and more connected streets tomorrow.
Miami’s curb is a gateway to a city that works for all of us. Let’s move forward, safely, efficiently and smartly.
Alejandra “Alex” Argudin,
chief executive officer,
Miami Parking Authority
Get involved
Every day in Miami-Dade County, volunteers power strong communities. Consistent, hands-on service helps ensure families are supported, essential programs remain strong and local nonprofit organizations can continue serving those who depend on them.
Yet many organizations are being asked to do more with fewer hands. According to the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, about 40% of nonprofit organizations say they need more volunteers to meet demand. In Miami-Dade, that need is clear. With extra support, food banks like Farm Share can distribute more meals, youth organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami can mentor more students and community groups can keep our neighborhoods and shorelines clean. But many still lack enough volunteers to operate at full strength.
That’s why corporate volunteerism matters. After decades of working alongside nonprofit partners, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has seen firsthand how reliable volunteer engagement helps stretch limited resources and reduce operating costs. When volunteers return month after month, they become trusted partners who make it possible to plan ahead and meet growing community needs — whether during hurricane season, the holidays or throughout the year.
In February, hundreds of FPL employees participated in our 18th annual Power to Care Week, an initiative rooted in the belief that lasting impact comes from showing up consistently. Miami-Dade’s FPL volunteers helped rehabilitate a dog park for the Humane Society of Greater Miami, creating a safer, more comfortable outdoor space for rescue pups. Our volunteers also beautified Florida City neighborhoods, cleaning up debris and trash and planting vegetation, creating a cleaner and safer environment for residents and visitors.
FPL volunteers contribute more than 55,000 hours annually alongside hundreds of nonprofit partners, from preparing meal kits for seniors ahead of hurricane season alongside United HomeCare and Florida Council on Aging, supporting programs that help families meet basic needs.
Strong communities are built through steady, hands-on service — one hour, one skill and one project at a time — laying a foundation of volunteerism that lasts for generations. As Miami-Dade grows and faces new challenges, dependable volunteer support will be more important than ever to make our communities thrive.
Armando Fernandez,
director of external affairs for Miami-Dade County,
Florida Power & Light Company
Doomed flights
I was surprised and distressed by the Feb. 22 op-ed by Frank Calzon and John Suarez, “President Trump should hold Cuba accountable for Brothers to the Rescue shootdown.” They wrote that the aircraft were flying “over what were believed to be international waters.”
The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) 1996 investigation on the shoot-down clearly proved, in its published final report, that both aircraft were shot down over international waters, well outside Cuban territorial waters. In addition, the Miami Herald documented ICAO’s findings as part of its extensive coverage of this crime.
February 24 marked the 30th anniversary of the shoot-down that killed my brother, Armando Alejandre and three other men from our South Florida community. It is more than enough time to get the facts straight.
Maggie Alejandre Khuly,
Miami
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 10:49 AM.