I would like to thank all of you, the residents of Sunny Isles Beach, for the respect you have shown towards me and the rest of the commission in my nine years as a commissioner. It has been a pleasure serving all of you and I hope to continue serving you in the future.
There are so many things that have happened in the City in my two terms that it is hard to pick one that stands out above all the others. If I had to pick one, it would be the building of the school. That partnership with Miami-Dade County Schools changed the City in many ways.
The average age of the residents in the City dropped because of all the young people moving into the city. And as a result of the influx of younger families, the school enrollment has increased. We have almost 1,800 children in our Norman S. Edelcup SIB K-8 school and 300 more than previously projected at Alonzo & Tracy Mourning High School. The fact that we have a school within our city limits was a draw for potential home buyers and surely helped to increase sales for the beautiful new buildings that have gone up in Sunny Isles Beach.
The City has gone from an average place to live, to one which we are all proud to call “Home.” Again, it was my pleasure to serve you; and I thank you for the nine great years.
— Vice Mayor Lewis J. Thaler
