While campaigning for the Miami mayor’s seat last fall, Mayor Eileen Higgins called for a “deep dive” into Miami’s swelling operating budget, which in the past five years has jumped 57% to over $1.8 billion.
A quick look at the numbers suggests the answer may not require much digging: just follow the paychecks.
While overall spending has climbed across city government, the most significant budget increases are concentrated in employee compensation — the single largest and fastest-growing cost driver…