When Miami-Dade County’s garbage incinerator burned in February 2023 at its site within Doral city limits, Doral saw an opportunity to push for the facility’s relocation. As the county now prepares to make a decision about where to rebuild the waste plant — which could include keeping it at the same location — Doral is considering triggering a legal dispute that would compel the county into formal negotiations.
Up until now, the county has been in discussions with city leaders about what concessions Doral would be willing to make for the county to move the incinerator to another location. Assuming that property values in the area would rise if the facility were to be moved, Miami-Dade has asked that Doral contribute a portion of the increased tax revenue. The incinerator is estimated to cost $1.5 billion , for a facility that would be capable of processing 4,000 tons of waste per day, converting it into electricity and alternative fuels.
Doral’s City Council had already offered a long-term tax contribution of at least $20 million and was prepared to make a 30-year commitment to fund the relocation. But at a Miami-Dade County Commission meeting Sept. 17, County Commissioner Eileen Higgins pushed for more. “Moving this out of Doral is going to cost money. Without a contribution from Doral, garbage prices are going to go up for every single person in the county, and that’s a dealbreaker for me,” she said, suggesting the city ask its voters to weigh in on a general obligation bond.