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Opinion Piece
Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”
This sums up the state of affairs in Palmetto Bay.
The Village of Parks hit a new low this week when Mayor Karyn Cunningham allowed an unvetted video “attacking and mocking” fellow Village residents for all to see. This unprecedented behavior from Village leaders calls into question the integrity and commitment to civility and public discourse in this quaint bedroom community in South Dade.
We cannot place blame solely at the feet of Mayor Cunningham, however. This was a group effort. The video was allowed to be played at this week’s meeting by the village attorney, manager, and clerk, who appeared unwilling to review it in advance for appropriateness. No one on the council dared to call for the video to be stopped once jaws dropped in the chambers as the video continued. What followed was two-plus minutes of political attacks ridiculing former Village officials and quite frankly mocking residents for denouncing the Village’s attempt to reclassify the “Shannon Melendi Law.”
I will not dignify this video by giving it further description other than to say it is set an entirely new low in behavior by any municipal council. It demonstrates that this mayor and council are too focused on personalities and ridiculing opposition to focus on the job at hand.
Equally troubling is that it appears this “bullying video” was meant to serve as a warning to others who may wish to speak in opposition to an item on the agenda. Don’t speak out or the mayor and council will try their worst to bury and humiliate you in public.
I respectfully request that Mayor Cunningham and the Village Council adhere to current rules and ordinances established by prior administrations relating to civility, decorum, and anti-bulling. Village residents are owed that much. Otherwise, it’s possible that the broom will come out at election time and a new mayor and council will be swept into office.
