Mayor Bryan Calvo cast the move as proof that municipal government could move faster than the state. “They said it couldn’t be done, and we did it,” Calvo said. “And we did it in less than 45 days of this new administration.”
He framed the program as budget‑neutral for other residents. “It means that we are not cutting any services, we are not eliminating any services, and at the same time, we are not raising taxes on any other revenue stream,” Calvo said.
He added that the city “front‑loads some of our pension commitments” to free up roughly $1.2 million for the rebates.
Under the ordinance, homeowners need to be at least 65, own and live in a homesteaded property in Hialeah and report annual income of $37,694 or less, matching the state threshold for certain senior exemptions.
Qualified households who already received the senior exemption are set to get checks automatically by the end of March, with average rebates around $539.