Early voting began Saturday and runs through this Saturday, Nov
3. CLICK
HERE to view official elections Department information on where
you can vote early. The closest location to Palmetto Bay/Pinecrest is the Coral
Reef Library, 9211 SW 152nd Street. For Cutler Bay, the South Dade Regional
Library, 10750 SW 211th Street, is the usual early voting site, but any voter
may vote at any early voting site. There may be sites near where you take your
children to school, shop, work or simply where you may be nearby during this
period where early voting may be more easily accessible and less
crowded.
This will be a huge ballot, so plan on voting early and be ready for delays. Some voters spent as long as 6 ½ hours at the polls on Saturday. It was down to about half, or less than have the wait on Sunday. Please don't leave your vote until the last-minute on Tuesday, November 6.
I have endorsed Karyn Cunningham and Howard Tendrich for Palmetto Bay council as discussed below. This e-mail also discusses the charter amendments for the first time.
There are many State and County issues on the ballot. I often get asked how I am voting. I will be happy to provide further information if you want to e-mail me at eugeneflinn@aol.com. Or check the South Dade Updates blog as I have posted various articles from time to time on differing ballot issues and candidates. I am trying to keep the length of this update reasonable.
The length of the ballot for this election is absurd. It is the longest and most difficult ballot that I have ever seen in my years as a voter. Never before have elected officials placed so many items on a single ballot, as if to try to sneak things through, hoping that you will simply vote "yes" to give them what they want without reading carefully and considering the consequences.
PALMETTO BAY CHARTER QUESTIONS
Be careful and read the item before you vote. CLICK HERE to view the proposed Palmetto Bay Charter Amendments. The number one example is Palmetto Bay Charter Amendment # 4 - innocently entitled "Changing Term Limits" this is actually an anti-reform proposal that EXTENDS the present term limits from the present 8 to 12 years. Do not be fooled. We finally get a county charter question for 8 years for County Commissioners, but Palmetto Bay elected officials want to undo our earlier reforms and extend their terms.
Love it or hate it, but it does not belong in the charter. The Neighborhood Protection proposal belongs in the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) and the procedural elements belong in the zoning procedures code, not charter. It is unwise to mix the two. You cannot properly amend your CDMP if it also requires a charter change to be consistent.
The purpose of a village charter is to define the type of government, which in Palmetto Bay is to have a manager - council form of government.
Items # 5 and 6 are bad proposals that allow the council members to interfere with the professional management of Palmetto Bay by the Manager and allow council members to meet with department heads or otherwise inject politics into the hiring of personnel. Don't let this happen. Vote NO and retain professional management. Elected officials should be required to discuss village business, our business, in the Sunshine, at a public meeting, not in private. Otherwise, each department head would have 6 chiefs; the manager and 5 separate councilmembers, all trying to direct the manager in different directions. Government in the Sunshine requires that the issue be discussed at a publicly noticed council meeting, discussed in public and publicly decide by majority rule. The public has the right to know. I was able to work effectively as mayor for 8 years under the current set of rules. The current council does not need, and certainly do not deserve a new set of rules.
Many of the other proposals make little sense; they are already provided for in the present charter and add nothing by passage other than risking adverse unintended consequences. I do intend on voting in favor of items #7, #10, and #12.
PALMETTO BAY ELECTION
This election is important for the future of Palmetto Bay. I felt we worked hard to build a strong sense of community in the first eight years of Palmetto Bay. I would like to return to a Palmetto Bay that benefited from community events such as family movie nights (remember those?), fewer lawsuits and less new regulations.
I have strongly endorsed the reelection of Councilman Howard Tendrich and long-time resident and teacher/advocateKaryn Cunningham to provide a new voice for Vice Mayor. Both candidates have positive insight and will work to represent all the people of Palmetto Bay. CLICK HERE to view my full endorsement for both Karyn and Howard.
Karyn Cunningham will restore our sense of community and will work well with, not against, the other council members on items that are important to us; protecting our quality of life, our children, homes, infrastructure and our village finances. She wants to hold series of meeting to engage us, the residents in visioning sessions much like the first council did when we first created Palmetto Bay.
Howard Tendrich is the biggest supporter of green on the present council. He has been a big supporter, working with me in the past and continues the work of making Palmetto Bay a "Tree City USA." He has pushed for greater accountability and is the single present member of the council work pushed for publishing the village check register online. He was a huge proponent of making Palmetto Bay's Village Hall LEED Platinum. We cannot lose Howard's common sense on the council.
The strength of Palmetto Bay was the "Ps" that I enumerated through my years of service, Parks, Planning, Police, Public Works and most of all People. We were once one Palmetto Bay and we need elected officials who will work to build the sense of community we previously enjoyed.
One new wrinkle to local politics has surfaced, a new "P" in Palmetto Bay and that is the sudden emergence of a PAC. See may article on the South Dade Updates blog: (Click the headline) The PACman cometh in Palmetto Bay, but what is the expected return on this investment on just 2 candidates?
I humbly recommend that we all vote for Howard Tendrich and Karyn Cunningham and vote NO on the Palmetto Bay charter amendments, excepting #7, #10, and #12.
Pet's Trust Vote YES #24
Please Vote Yes to show support for a Pet's Trust in Miami. This is a straw ballot on the November 6 ballot- which means it is there to gage the community support for creating a Pets Trust. It is then up to the County Commission to make it happen.
Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at the polls. Join me in working to for positive government!
Eugene Flinn
This will be a huge ballot, so plan on voting early and be ready for delays. Some voters spent as long as 6 ½ hours at the polls on Saturday. It was down to about half, or less than have the wait on Sunday. Please don't leave your vote until the last-minute on Tuesday, November 6.
I have endorsed Karyn Cunningham and Howard Tendrich for Palmetto Bay council as discussed below. This e-mail also discusses the charter amendments for the first time.
There are many State and County issues on the ballot. I often get asked how I am voting. I will be happy to provide further information if you want to e-mail me at eugeneflinn@aol.com. Or check the South Dade Updates blog as I have posted various articles from time to time on differing ballot issues and candidates. I am trying to keep the length of this update reasonable.
The length of the ballot for this election is absurd. It is the longest and most difficult ballot that I have ever seen in my years as a voter. Never before have elected officials placed so many items on a single ballot, as if to try to sneak things through, hoping that you will simply vote "yes" to give them what they want without reading carefully and considering the consequences.
PALMETTO BAY CHARTER QUESTIONS
Be careful and read the item before you vote. CLICK HERE to view the proposed Palmetto Bay Charter Amendments. The number one example is Palmetto Bay Charter Amendment # 4 - innocently entitled "Changing Term Limits" this is actually an anti-reform proposal that EXTENDS the present term limits from the present 8 to 12 years. Do not be fooled. We finally get a county charter question for 8 years for County Commissioners, but Palmetto Bay elected officials want to undo our earlier reforms and extend their terms.
Love it or hate it, but it does not belong in the charter. The Neighborhood Protection proposal belongs in the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) and the procedural elements belong in the zoning procedures code, not charter. It is unwise to mix the two. You cannot properly amend your CDMP if it also requires a charter change to be consistent.
The purpose of a village charter is to define the type of government, which in Palmetto Bay is to have a manager - council form of government.
Items # 5 and 6 are bad proposals that allow the council members to interfere with the professional management of Palmetto Bay by the Manager and allow council members to meet with department heads or otherwise inject politics into the hiring of personnel. Don't let this happen. Vote NO and retain professional management. Elected officials should be required to discuss village business, our business, in the Sunshine, at a public meeting, not in private. Otherwise, each department head would have 6 chiefs; the manager and 5 separate councilmembers, all trying to direct the manager in different directions. Government in the Sunshine requires that the issue be discussed at a publicly noticed council meeting, discussed in public and publicly decide by majority rule. The public has the right to know. I was able to work effectively as mayor for 8 years under the current set of rules. The current council does not need, and certainly do not deserve a new set of rules.
Many of the other proposals make little sense; they are already provided for in the present charter and add nothing by passage other than risking adverse unintended consequences. I do intend on voting in favor of items #7, #10, and #12.
PALMETTO BAY ELECTION
This election is important for the future of Palmetto Bay. I felt we worked hard to build a strong sense of community in the first eight years of Palmetto Bay. I would like to return to a Palmetto Bay that benefited from community events such as family movie nights (remember those?), fewer lawsuits and less new regulations.
I have strongly endorsed the reelection of Councilman Howard Tendrich and long-time resident and teacher/advocateKaryn Cunningham to provide a new voice for Vice Mayor. Both candidates have positive insight and will work to represent all the people of Palmetto Bay. CLICK HERE to view my full endorsement for both Karyn and Howard.
Karyn Cunningham will restore our sense of community and will work well with, not against, the other council members on items that are important to us; protecting our quality of life, our children, homes, infrastructure and our village finances. She wants to hold series of meeting to engage us, the residents in visioning sessions much like the first council did when we first created Palmetto Bay.
Howard Tendrich is the biggest supporter of green on the present council. He has been a big supporter, working with me in the past and continues the work of making Palmetto Bay a "Tree City USA." He has pushed for greater accountability and is the single present member of the council work pushed for publishing the village check register online. He was a huge proponent of making Palmetto Bay's Village Hall LEED Platinum. We cannot lose Howard's common sense on the council.
The strength of Palmetto Bay was the "Ps" that I enumerated through my years of service, Parks, Planning, Police, Public Works and most of all People. We were once one Palmetto Bay and we need elected officials who will work to build the sense of community we previously enjoyed.
One new wrinkle to local politics has surfaced, a new "P" in Palmetto Bay and that is the sudden emergence of a PAC. See may article on the South Dade Updates blog: (Click the headline) The PACman cometh in Palmetto Bay, but what is the expected return on this investment on just 2 candidates?
I humbly recommend that we all vote for Howard Tendrich and Karyn Cunningham and vote NO on the Palmetto Bay charter amendments, excepting #7, #10, and #12.
Pet's Trust Vote YES #24
Please Vote Yes to show support for a Pet's Trust in Miami. This is a straw ballot on the November 6 ballot- which means it is there to gage the community support for creating a Pets Trust. It is then up to the County Commission to make it happen.
Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at the polls. Join me in working to for positive government!
Eugene Flinn
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