Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham to deliver final State of the Village address Nov. 10

Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham will deliver her final State of the Village address Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Thalatta Estate, marking the end of her eight years as mayor as voters prepare to choose her successor.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the village-owned waterfront estate, 17301 Old Cutler Road. Residents must RSVP by Monday, Nov. 2, according to the village's Oct. 6 announcement.

Cunningham, who is term-limited after winning elections in 2018 and 2022, will reflect on the village's progress and recognize residents and organizations that contributed to the community over the past year.

The address comes exactly one week after Palmetto Bay's Nov. 3 municipal election, when voters will choose a new mayor and fill two Village Council seats.

Three candidates seek Cunningham's seat

Karen Baez-Wallis, Tamara Mourino and David Singer are competing to succeed Cunningham, according to Florida Politics.

Village Council seats 1 and 3 are also on the ballot. All three offices are open because their current holders have reached their term limits.

If no mayoral candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will take place Tuesday, Dec. 1.

That means Cunningham's final State of the Village address could occur before voters know who will succeed her.

Cunningham has spent part of her final months in office raising concerns about the village's financial future, particularly the potential effects of Florida's Amendment 3 on local government revenue.

In a Sept. 24 CBS Miami interview, Cunningham described Palmetto Bay as "the most reliant in Miami-Dade County" on single-family residential property taxes.

She said 73.3% of the village's properties are homesteaded, making changes to homestead exemptions especially significant for its budget.

State of the Village returns to Thalatta Estate

The Nov. 10 address will bring the annual event back to Thalatta Estate, a historic waterfront property overlooking Biscayne Bay.

The venue previously hosted the State of the Village in 2019, according to Community Newspapers. Last year's address took place Dec. 11 at Palmetto Bay Park.

The gathering traditionally provides an opportunity for village officials to highlight accomplishments, discuss priorities and recognize community contributions.

This year's event comes during a transition in village leadership.

A candidates forum ahead of the Nov. 3 election gave residents an opportunity to hear from contenders for mayor and the two open council seats, WLRN Public Media reported.

The State of the Village event is sponsored by Audi Miami South by The Collection, Nicklaus Children's Palmetto Bay Outpatient Center & Urgent Care, Baptist Health, the Corradino Group, Morgan Auto Group, Palmer Trinity, Kimley-Horn, SFM, Waypoint and Chabad of Palmetto Bay and Deering Estate.

Residents can find event information and RSVP through the Village of Palmetto Bay's official announcement.

Event details: The State of the Village address begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Thalatta Estate, 17301 Old Cutler Road. The RSVP deadline is Monday, Nov. 2.