Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez wants Gov. Rick Scott to reimburse the state’s largest county $6 million for the funds spent to control the Zika virus.
In a letter sent to Scott Thursday, Gimenez asked Scott to repay the costs for controlling the Zika virus, which has hit South Florida by storm in recent months.
The total cost for aerial spraying, ground spraying, distribution of insect repellents as well as outreach and education proved costly for the county.
“As you know, since your Emergency Declaration made in February...Miami-Dade County’s Mosquito Control Section has been aggressive with its proactive and responsive mosquito control efforts,” Gimenez wrote to the governor.
Miami-Dade has, Gimenez wrote, implemented all the protocols as directed by the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control to prepare for a possible outbreak of the virus, but the overall cost to comply with the protocols ended up being more than Miami-Dade had anticipated.
The downtown Miami area is the site of Florida’s first cases mosquito-borne transmission. Just last month, four people in the downtown Miami area had become infected due to mosquito bites, and that number has continued to rise in recent weeks.
A total of 25 people had become infected locally as of Thursday morning.
Local transmissions are limited to a small one-square mile radius in the Wynwood area of Miami, which is popular with tourists due to its mural-laden walls and hip atmosphere.
On that note, another big problem from Zika could hit Miami via one of its main economic boosts: tourism. The Greater Miami area welcomed a record-shattering 15 million visitors in 2014, but Miami, a place of sunshine, Cuban bakeries, Pitbull music and general fun, could suffer at the hands of bad publicity from the Zika virus, said Gimenez.
If less tourists come to Miami, it could mean a greater deficit for programs the city needs to thrive.
That’s because taxes from arts and culture programming support services for many important Miami programs to support the homeless, keep parks in good shape and support public health and transportation services.
Gov. Rick Scott has already allocated $26 million in state funds to combat the virus.
Gimenez also asked the governor to consider an economic package for Wynwood, the area most heavily hit by the virus.
“Miami-Dade County will continue to protect the public health and safety of its residents and those who visit our community at whatever cost,” he wrote.
Scott’s office had not responded to Gimenez’s request at the time of this article’s publication.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
