A yearslong dispute over water fees the city of North Miami Beach charges its neighbor, Miami Gardens, spilled into new territory last week when Miami-Dade County commissioners approved an ordinance aimed at bringing the fight to heel. While elected officials sparred over statutes and surcharges, residents on both sides say they’ve been carrying the tab — and the stress.

Edith Owens, who has lived in Miami Gardens for nearly 50 years, called last week’s vote “long overdue.”

“It's long overdue, number one, and to have us paying all this water bill, and to actually using that money to lower the taxes in North Miami Beach,” she said. “The playfield is not level, and we're the ones suffering over on this side.”

The chambers were filled with Miami Gardens residents wearing blue shirts. (A

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