Rodney Harris

Under Mayor Harris, Miami Gardens has cemented its status as a global events destination. Hard Rock Stadium — located in Miami Gardens — has hosted the Formula One Miami Grand Prix annually since 2022, the Miami Open tennis tournament, the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19, 2026, and is currently hosting seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches (June 15–July 18, 2026). The city's December 2025 State of the City address confirmed a development pipeline valued at approximately $750 million in total construction, a $9.6 billion certified taxable value, and over 2,200 new residential units added in the past three years. The creation of the Entertainment Overlay District and the $300 million Derby Pointe Logistics Center groundbreaking further reflect Harris's commitment to economic expansion and global visibility for Miami Gardens.

The City of Miami Gardens Senior Family Center opened on July 15, 2021, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Rodney Harris and the City Council. The 38,000-square-foot facility was funded through Miami Gardens' $60 million General Obligation Bond program, approved by residents in April 2014 for parks infrastructure improvements. The center, located at 18330 NW 12th Avenue, features a fitness center, multi-use rooms, an illuminated walking trail, a community botanical garden, an outdoor kitchen, and a video surveillance system. By mid-2023 the center was serving approximately 1,100 people from across Miami-Dade County at no cost to participants. The 'Wellness Wednesdays' detail attributed to Councilwoman Michelle Powell could not be independently verified and should be removed pending a sourced confirmation.

The 35-acre Miami Gardens City Center broke ground July 22, 2024, and remains under active construction as of May 2026; it is valued at over $400 million and is scheduled for completion in 2026 per official city sources, though no confirmed opening has been announced. The $60 million General Obligation Bond program is approximately 79% complete per Mayor Harris's State of the City Address (December 2025), with Scott Park targeted for early 2026 opening (featuring a community building, playground, basketball courts, and a community garden), AJ King Park breaking ground December 16, 2024, and new pickleball courts near Buccaneer Park also targeted for early 2026. A separate Performing Arts Center (PAC) was announced in November 2024, with design drawings due by summer 2026, construction beginning fall 2026, and completion expected by 2028; partial PAC funding of approximately $50 million has been secured from city, county, and private sources. Multiple bond-funded park projects are complete or nearing completion across the city.

Since Harris took office in November 2020, Miami Gardens' taxable property value grew by approximately 60%, reaching $9.6 billion (FY2026 certified by Miami-Dade County property appraiser), up from approximately $3–4 billion at the start of his tenure. Over 2,200 new residential units came online in three years, and nearly 5 million square feet of light industrial and commercial space is anticipated to add over 4,500 jobs. For every $1 of public investment, the city generated $31 of private investment. Harris re-won the mayoralty in August 2024 with 69% of the vote and continued to advance major projects, including the $300 million Derby Pointe Logistics Center (groundbreaking December 18, 2024), the $400+ million Miami Gardens City Center development (part of the Entertainment Overlay District), and a total development pipeline valued at approximately $750 million as of December 2025. The city has not raised the property tax millage rate for 13 consecutive years and passed a balanced $170 million operating budget.

Miami Gardens has not raised its operating millage rate for 13 consecutive years as of FY 2025-26, holding it at 6.9363 mills — confirmed in Mayor Harris's State of the City address (December 2025) and the FY2026 City Manager's Budget Message. Taxable property values reached $9.6 billion in FY2026, up $865 million from the prior year's $8.7 billion, generating additional revenue without a rate increase. However, because assessed property values rose, the average homeowner's tax bill increased by approximately $76, a transparency consideration that does not negate the kept millage-rate pledge.