91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Watch CBS News
Local News

Hialeah approves property tax relief for qualifying seniors

By CBS Miami Team,
Nikiya Carrero
Nikiya Carrero
Nikiya Carrero
Nikiya Carrero is an Emmy-nominated reporter who joined the CBS News Miami team in October 2023 and she is excited to be back home.
Read Full Bio
Nikiya Carrero

/ CBS Miami

Thousands of homeowners 65 and older in Hialeah may soon receive financial relief to help offset rising property taxes under a newly approved city program.

The Hialeah City Council has authorized a $1.2 million property tax relief initiative, marking what city leaders describe as the first program of its kind not only in Florida, but across the state.

Mayor Bryan Calvo said more than 6,000 families are expected to receive a one-time rebate check by the end of March.

"They said it couldn't be done, and we did it," Calvo said. "And we did it in less than 45 days of this new administration."

According to the mayor, roughly one in five city residents will benefit from the stimulus-style rebate. He said the funding for the program will not reduce city services or impact businesses or residents.

"The reason we were able to accomplish this is because of better administration," Calvo said. "We have been able to front-load some of our pension commitments, and by doing so, we have identified the money to fund this program."

To qualify for the relief payment, residents must be at least 65 years old, own a homesteaded property in Hialeah with their name on the deed, and have an annual income of $37,694 or less.

Homeowners who already receive the senior exemption on their property tax bill will automatically receive a check in the mail, city officials said.

The average rebate is expected to be $539, though the exact amount will vary based on an individual's city tax bill.

"Some will get a little bit more, some will get less, depending on what their tax bill looks like toward the city," Calvo said.

Carlos Diaz, a Hialeah resident, praised the initiative.

"What he has done in two months they couldn't do in years," Diaz said in Spanish. "That is why now the city of Hialeah will progress."

Ana Gloria Diaz said the additional funds will help cover basic expenses.

"I will now have more to eat, to ease my mind. For gas in my car," she said.

The city is partnering with the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser's Office to help residents determine whether they qualify. An informational session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment, located at 4700 Palm Ave.

In:

© 2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
const link = doc.createElement('link'); link.rel = 'stylesheet'; link.href = '/fly/fly/bundles/cbsnewscontent/css/cmp-banner.min.css?v=296763317a51cab90faa73f1bb146d5c'; doc.head.appendChild(link); doc.body.innerHTML = CONSENT_MESSAGE; } else { el.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', CONSENT_MESSAGE); } }); } function hidePrivacyMessage() { // Remove from the main document document.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); // Remove from inside any iframes document.querySelectorAll('iframe').forEach(iframe => { const doc = iframe.contentDocument || iframe.contentWindow.document; doc.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); }); } function activateGatedScripts() { // Handle both new format (cmp-gated-script) and old OneTrust/Ketch format (optanon-category-4) const gatedScripts = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('script.cmp-gated-script, script.optanon-category-4')); // Activate scripts sequentially with a small delay to avoid timing issues let delay = 0; gatedScripts.forEach(function(placeholder, index) { setTimeout(function() { // Skip if already processed if (placeholder.hasAttribute('data-cmp-processed')) { return; } placeholder.setAttribute('data-cmp-processed', 'true'); const newScript = document.createElement('script'); newScript.type = 'text/javascript'; // Try new format first (data-cmp-src), then fall back to old format (data-src) const src = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-src') || placeholder.getAttribute('data-src'); if (src) { newScript.src = src; } else if (placeholder.textContent) { // Inline script - just copy the content newScript.textContent = placeholder.textContent; } // Handle new format attributes (data-cmp-attrs) - for both inline and external scripts const attrs = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-attrs'); if (attrs) { const tempDiv = document.createElement('div'); tempDiv.innerHTML = '
<\/div>'; const tempAttrs = tempDiv.firstChild.attributes; for (let i = 0; i < tempAttrs.length; i++) { // For external scripts, allow defer/async. For inline scripts, skip them (not valid) if (src || (tempAttrs[i].name !== 'async' && tempAttrs[i].name !== 'defer')) { newScript.setAttribute(tempAttrs[i].name, tempAttrs[i].value); } } } // Copy other attributes from old OneTrust format for (let i = 0; i < placeholder.attributes.length; i++) { const attr = placeholder.attributes[i]; // Skip attributes we've already handled or don't want to copy if (!['class', 'data-src', 'data-type', 'data-cmp-src', 'data-cmp-attrs', 'data-cmp-processed', 'type', 'async', 'defer', 'src'].includes(attr.name)) { newScript.setAttribute(attr.name, attr.value); } } placeholder.parentNode.replaceChild(newScript, placeholder); // If external script, manually trigger window.onload handlers after it loads // This handles widgets that use window.onload for initialization if (src) { newScript.addEventListener('load', function() { // If page already loaded and script set a new onload handler, trigger it if (document.readyState === 'complete' && window.onload) { const originalOnload = window.onload; window.onload = null; // Clear temporarily to prevent loops originalOnload(); // Execute the handler } }); } }, delay); delay += 500; // 500ms delay between each script to allow full loading }); } cbsoptanon.onScriptsReady(function(cmp) { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (!allowed) { showPrivacyMessage(); } else { activateGatedScripts(); } }); cmp.ot.awaitInitialConsent(function(consent_model) { cmp.ot.addOnConsentChangedHandler(function() { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (allowed) { hidePrivacyMessage(); activateGatedScripts(); } else { showPrivacyMessage(); } }); }); }); });