Miami-Dade Mayor Looks Back on 'Year of the Mosquito'

CUTLER BAY — Dubbing it the year of the mosquito, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said that the county is the only place on earth that has broken the cycle of local transmission of Zika.

"We were the first community, and I believe the only community in the world to break the cycle of local transmission," declared Gimenez, delivering his state of the county message on Wednesday morning,

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Gimenez promised that officials would remain vigilant in the fight against the mosquito-transmitted illness.

"We may be in the off season but that does not mean that our work is over," he said, noting that "fighting Zika was an all-hands-on-deck effort."

Gimenez began his annual state of the county address with a moment of remembrance for the victims of Monday's mass shooting at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park as well as the recent mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Despite Zika concerns, Gimenez said that the county experienced a record-breaking year for local tourism and experienced the lowest unemployment since he took office.

Referring to Monday's mass shooting in which eight people were shot, Gimenez said that programs are in place to target at-risk youth.

"We know there is no quick fix to youth violence," he said. "We will solve this problem together as Miamians."

Gimenez identified the three main challenges facing the county as continued economic development, transportation and public safety.

"Ladies and gentleman the state of our county is strong and together we’re making it even stronger," Gimenez said in closing to applause.

Photo courtesy of Miami-Dade County