MIAMI – The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday deferred a vote on a property tax increase that would help turn Miami-Dade Animal Services into a no-kill shelter.
Supporters of the Pets' Trust wore red paw-print bandanas at the commission meeting -- only to hear the vote was deferred.
"We're going to take two weeks to get the rest of the input that we need to get," said Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz.
"The people voted. Sixty-five percent of the people voted," said Rita Schwartz with the Pets' Trust. "Five-hundred thousand people voted and this is what we get? This is not right."
"I believe the vast majority of people voted for it and they understood what they were voting for," said Laurie Bloom.
"Five-hundred thousand people voted for it. They still need to study it?" asked Pets' Trust President Michael Rosenberg.
Dozens of veterinarians expressed problems with the language of the resolution, according to Diaz.
"By the time we make that decision in a few weeks, the community knows where they stand, what the proposal is, and make it crystal clear," said Board Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa.
An open meeting will be held June 12 about the no-kill resolution. Another vote will be held June 19.