Miami-Dade Mayor Focuses On Youth Violence In Yearly Address

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CUTLER BAY(CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez focused on the woes of the county during his State of the County address but at the forefront was youth violence.

The morning began with the pageantry of your typical State of the County, patriotic with the color guard, National Anthem and kids leading the pledge of allegiance.

There was even a surprise mini concert from the program 'Guitars Over Guns.'

The group's performance highlighted a desperate need in Miami-Dade County as the county government deals with a host of issues from jobs, traffic, and transportation. Mayor Gimenez hit on all of those topics Wednesday morning.

At the forefront was youth violence.

"I am the mayor all of Miami-Dade and when violence strikes one of our neighborhoods, it affects all of us and you have my word Vice Chairwoman [ Audrey] Edmonson, that we're going to continue to work together as a community to find a solution to gun violence," said Mayor Gimenez.

The mayor's 45-minute speech outlined his plan for next year. It's a plan meant to keep the county moving forward and thriving.