Miami-Dade County taxpayers paid $4,500 for two custom paintings of Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III that were never hung on the wall they were made for. The spending came to light as the county proposes cutting 12 bus routes in its next budget.

The portrait that actually made it into the County Commission chambers on Monday, July 13, was a $280 print of a painting Miami Gardens commissioned five years ago when Gilbert was that city's mayor.

The spending was revealed through invoices obtained by the Miami Herald via a public records request, published Sunday, July 20. In total, the county spent $4,780 on three portraits of the same commissioner for a new gallery honoring former board chairs.

Two artists were paid, then both portraits were rejected

Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez launched the portrait gallery and chose Gilbert, who served as board chair from 2022 to 2024, as its inaugural subject. Rodriguez's office hired Miami artist Rahiem Milton in November, sending him a photo of Gilbert in a light blue suit and striped red necktie with the instruction: "Please use the attached photo for the portrait."

Milton delivered a $2,000 acrylic painting to County Hall in December. He was told it didn't meet expectations.

"I honestly don't know what the issue was," Milton told the Herald. "I was dumbfounded."

Weeks later, a commission staffer signed Lake Worth artist Sitki Dogan to paint a second portrait for $2,500. Dogan received the same reference photo as Milton. His finished oil painting looked similar but added an American flag and the county seal in the background. A $1,250 deposit invoice went to Gilbert's office on Dec. 26, with the final $1,250 payment invoiced Thursday, July 17.

Neither Gilbert's office nor Rodriguez's media office responded to the Herald's questions about why two commissioned portraits were rejected in favor of the cheaper print.

Spending comes as county proposes cutting bus routes

The portrait spending is a fraction of the county's proposed $14.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27, which Mayor Daniella Levine Cava presented Wednesday, July 15. But it lands at a moment when the county is asking residents to accept less.

That budget proposes eliminating 12 bus routes, including contract-operated routes that serve areas near Aventura, and cutting overnight service on four additional routes. The county has also eliminated more than 400 vacant positions from general fund departments.

Levine Cava warned that if a statewide November ballot measure to phase out property taxes passes, Miami-Dade could lose an estimated $385.8 million in the first year, forcing deeper cuts to parks, fire rescue, libraries and transportation.

Gilbert, who also serves as the commission's transportation chair, has publicly criticized the county's practice of raiding a reserve fund meant for rail expansion to cover transit operating costs. Miami Herald reporter Doug Hanks reported on Tuesday, July 14, that Gilbert warned a crash is coming if the county doesn't develop a better long-term funding plan.

Gilbert is running in the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Frederica Wilson in Florida's 24th Congressional District and declined the Herald's interview request.

Commissioners set two budget hearings for September

The Miami-Dade County Commission will hold budget hearings Thursday, Sept. 3, and Thursday, Sept. 17, when commissioners will debate the proposed route cuts and spending priorities. Residents can attend or submit public comment at those hearings.