Cunningham vs Flinn in the Mayoral Ring

palmetto-bay

Grant Miller
Grant Miller

The main event has begun, folks – and it could get interesting – or not.

Now stepping into the election ring is the challenger, Councilwoman Karyn Cunningham, taking on Mayor Gene Flinn. In this battle of Village titans, the alphabetical order is going to drive Gene nuts because, from this point forward in all election stories – which, of course, should be fair and unbiased – he will continue to receive second billing at every ribbon cutting, ball game, and baby-kissing event.

You can count on those two attending everything between now and Nov. 8. Running joke is that these politicians attend every envelope-opening and in the process, jab each other for prime photo placement. And, you can count on every single nostril blast being posted on their social media channels. It exhausts me to try to follow either of them on Facebook.

Cunningham
Cunningham
Flinn
Flinn

It’s hard to tell these two apart in many ways. They both communicate endlessly in the same channels, and they appear to be in lock step with their voting on Village issues. Consider this fact: Among the 426 Resolutions they’ve voted on since December of 2014, the beginning of their current terms, they only didn’t vote together 4% of the time – that’s just 18 Resolutions where Karyn and Gene didn’t agree. I’d love to give you the stats on the real meat, the Ordinances/laws; however, village administration doesn’t seem to want to publish that important public index – too bad.

So, we’ll be curiously watching who throws the first punch, who hits below the belt, and who delivers the KO. Meanwhile, right at press time, a poll was taken among 400 people in the Village – and it strongly suggests that seated Councilman David Singer could be the next mayor.

Where’s Don King when you need him?


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17 COMMENTS

  1. Before considering voting for anyone on the current Village of Palmetto Bay Council think about two things they have given us:
    – the Downtown Urban Village concept which would have given us 5,661 apartment units plus 1,500,000 sq ft commercial in a one square mile area resulting in +/- 10,000 vehicles and a doubling of the Village’s population. Fortunately resident uproar has caused the concept to be rethought and eight and nine story complexes to be reduced to five (which is still too many)
    – already impossible traffic affecting formerly quiet neighborhoods due to lack of north/south corridors thru the Village and hundreds of thousands of dollars of Village money spent on studies to determine where to place more speed humps, no turn signs, and to build undersized roundabouts rather than effectively addressing common sense (already funded) solutions to have the traffic flow more evenly.
    Also go look at the five story Atlantico Apartments (surrounded by residential homes) nearing completion just to the east of City Hall and then in a few months the five story behemoth going up on the old Perrine-Peters church site fronting northbound U.S.-1 between the McDonalds and Big Lots.
    Then put on your thinking caps cogitate if this is what you want for our Village.

  2. Cunningham is a lightweight. Photos and no content. Has done nothing for the residents she was supposed to represent.

  3. Where to find the poll among 400 people in the Village mentioned at the end of the article?

  4. Re Dale Starks’ comment that Eugene Flynn got us into the Palmer Trinity lawsuit. I believe it was Shelly Stanczyk’s reduction in the allowable students to 900 during the meeting from 1150, which staff and PTS had agreed to that formented the litigation. Of course I do not know the details but I believe it is unfair to suggest that it was due to EF.

  5. I don’t know why Mr. Singer would ever want to give up his seat to run for Mayor. He appears to be the brightest council member in Palmetto Bay. It would be a shame if we lost his representation during this election cycle. As far as Ms. Cunningham very nice and professional but doesn’t appear to bring much to the table as far as getting anything accomplished in the Village. Look at her last four years. It’s a shame Palmetto Bay is all about politics and our representatives don’t work together for the benefit of the community.

  6. Dale Starks, knowing your remarks about the environment couldn’t be farther from the truth, I bet the rest of what you have to say is hooey. Back in 2005 he stepped up to help the community stop the county from allowing building on 40 acres of wetlands. Since then his actions have stopped several attempts at building on wetlands and natural areas on the old Burger King HQ. Even the slightest research would prove this because it’s all public record. We’re the “Village of Parks” because of his constant advocacy for park’s sake!

  7. I don’t see either of them is a person of action, a person who can roll up sleeves and get a job done. Resolutions, plans, studies and public meetings are good but without following through all the problems remain unsolved. I am looking for a candidate who can produce real results.

  8. Eugene Flynn, Eugene Flynn, Shelley Stanczyk & Eugene Flynn. Those are the losers we have voted into office of Mayor since the incorporation of Palmetto Bay. If you feel things need to improve the only choice is Karyn Cunningham.

  9. Thomas Gonzalez that’s a smart strategy. We need to keep the council balanced since Dubois’ many ethical violations seem to go unchecked.

  10. From where I sit Karyn Cunningham is not mayoral material. She ran her campaign for her current seat, partially with the premise that she was an ESAC chairperson. That is not much of a qualification since everyday teachers are in the same position all of the time. Karyn Cummingham also tends to tell people whatever they want to hear, but really doesn’t care. A prime example is the fact that Karyn Cunningham claims to be a lobbyist for Miami Dade County Schools, but still voted to bring a charter school into Palmetto Bay. Charter schools take money from our public schools. I would not waste my vote on Cunningham.

  11. Isn’t Mayor Flynn the person who got us into the whole Palmer Trinity fiasco and cost the Village of Palmetto Bay millions? I thought so! Combine that with his always having to be right, not caring about the environment and his nutty wife and I say Karyn Cunningham is an easy yes vote for me and any logical person.

  12. I don’t want government by polls and pandering. Flinn has made some less than popular votes I’ve his tenure but he always serves Palmetto Bay’s long term goals. Cunningham is just looking to the next rung up the ladder and has little interest in the nuts and bolts of governing.

  13. Palmetto Bay deserve a thoughtful, dignified, intelligent mayor who cares about preserving the environment and standard of living, not about looking happy and smiling to compensate for deficits. Eugene Flinn is an attorney with the high order administrative skills and relationship savvy needed to negotiate and attract the best to Palmetto Bay. Yes, Cunningham’s selfies are an embarrassment. Flinn is dignified, well educated, and knows how to keep a community stable and beautiful.

  14. Substance over Selfies.
    What I’m not looking forward to is the way that most residents aren’t aware of the amount of time & original work that Mayor Flinn puts into the well-thought out, much-needed, resourceful Village resolutions/ordinances that your article mentioned. This in comparison to the often co-sponsored, zero-original thought, dotted with an “I steal ideas from Council & claim them as my own,” attached with a selfie, published in a personal newsletter often plagiarized from the VPB’s newsletters that Cunningham signs.
    Also, most residents aren’t aware of how Cunningham doesn’t do her homework before Council meetings (evidenced by the amount of time other Council members have to spend explaining reports, etc., to her,) or how she often shows up to events late, not contributing any actual event work or input and then leaves.
    Cunningham does not represent today’s Leadership and I hope residents will look more at Flinn’s Substance over Cunningham’s Selfies.

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