By Jesse Scheckner
Miami-Dade residents and businesses are stoked about hosting World Cup matches next year and the expected $1.5 billion impact doing so will bring. They’re not so keen on using taxpayer money to make it happen, new polling shows.
The county is set to host seven matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium, including four group-stage games, one round of 32 match, a quarterfinal match and a third-place playoff.
Polling by Miami-based Bendixen & Amandi International found 66% of Miami-Dade voters disagree with allocating public dollars to support World Cup matches.
Just 25% are OK with the idea. The remaining 9% said they don’t know enough about the issue or didn’t have enough information to have an opinion.
Last month, County Commissioners approved a budget that maintained a $46 million earmark to facilitate the games, which are projected to draw myriad visitors and attention to the county and surrounding municipalities. More than half will be in-kind spending on police services and paramedic overtime.
Major cities like Miami and Miami Beach are also chipping in, albeit for less.
Concerns about safety at the international soccer event are legit. Last year, security and crowd control shortcomings led to chaos, numerous arrests and injuries at the Copa América Final, which was also held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
In that incident’s aftermath, Miami-Dade officials swiftly vowed to elevate security measures ahead of next year’s World Cup. Lawmakers later proposed setting aside state dollars to help in that effort. And in April, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss security measures.
But after Miami-Dade only managed to close a $400 million funding gap with adjustments that included increased service and utility fees, cuts to safety and environmental oversight and the closure of an immigration-assistance office, pollsters found that county voters think their elected officials shouldn’t be spending their money on an already profitable sports event.
On a somewhat related topic, 56% of Miami-Dade voters said they’ve considered moving away due to cost of living and affordability issues. A United Way Miami report published late last month revealed that 54% of households in the county, the highest rate of any large Florida metropolitan area, are employed and make too much to qualify for state assistance, but not enough to avoid living paycheck to paycheck.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents to Bendixen & Amandi’s poll said they have not thought of relocating. Five percent didn’t know or wouldn’t answer the question.
Interest in moving is higher among those who earn less, naturally, but a majority of voters across several income brackets said they have thought positively about getting out. That includes 61% of people who earn under $50,000 a year, 59% in the $50,000 to $100,000 income range, and even 55% of those who earn more than $100,000.
Bendixen & Amandi surveyed 600 registered Miami-Dade voters by phone and online Sept. 30-Oct. 3. Pollsters weighted results to reflect the demographic and political composition of the county’s registered voter population.
The poll had a 4-percentage point margin of error at the 95% confidence level.
Twenty-eight percent of respondents were under 40, while 25% were 65 or older.
The post Poll: 2 in 3 Miami-Dade voters oppose using public dollars to host World Cup matches appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
