Candidate Suzy Lord, Cutler Bay Mayor

Suzy Lord, who has represented Seat 2 on the Cutler Bay Town Council since 2020, is a candidate for mayor of the Town of Cutler Bay in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Mayor Tim Meerbott is term-limited. Lord resigned her council seat, effective Nov. 3, to run. Also on the ballot for mayor are builder Ricardo De Melo Gomes, Council Member Robert “B.J.” Duncan and entrepreneur Clint Rodriguez, according to the Town Clerk’s list of qualified candidates.

At a Glance

Office: Mayor, Town of Cutler Bay (four-year term)
Area covered: Townwide; the mayor is elected at large and may live anywhere in town
Incumbent? No. The mayor’s seat is open. Lord holds Council Seat 2 and has resigned it effective Nov. 3, 2026.
Opponents on ballot: Ricardo De Melo Gomes, Robert “B.J.” Duncan, Clint Rodriguez
Campaign website: SuzyLordforMayor.com

Background

According to her official Town of Cutler Bay biography, Lord moved from Germany to Cutler Ridge with her family at age 12, when her father retired from the Army. She attended Cutler Ridge Junior High, now Cutler Bay Middle School, and graduated from Miami Southridge Senior High. She raised two sons in the town; the elder graduated from Miami Southridge and the younger was in the first graduating class of Cutler Bay Senior High.

The town biography says she became more involved in town affairs when her younger son chaired the town’s Youth Council Committee, and that she was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Committee in 2019. Professionally, she has worked for more than 30 years as a paralegal.

Lord won Seat 2 in a Dec. 1, 2020 runoff. The Miami Herald reported that she received 60% of the vote against retired architect Jose Rodriguez after finishing second in the November general election. She was re-elected in November 2024, defeating Brook De Melo Gomes by 10,077 votes to 9,201, according to Miami’s Community Newspapers. Brook De Melo Gomes is the wife of mayoral candidate Ricardo De Melo Gomes.

Her campaign website says she serves as town liaison to the Age-Friendly Communities Committee and on the board of the Green Corridor Property Assessment Clean Energy District, and has been involved with the South Dade Women Veterans Association planning committee. It says she received the 2024 Woman of Impact Award from the Women’s History Coalition of Miami-Dade County and a 2025 Outstanding Women of South Florida Award.

In Their Own Words

“As a 47-year resident of Cutler Bay, my roots here run deep. I was raised in this community, and I raised my sons here.”

Suzy Lord, South Dade News Leader candidate profile, Aug. 14, 2026

“I will continue to insist that all future projects undergo independent traffic studies commissioned directly by the town, not by developers.”

Suzy Lord, South Dade News Leader candidate profile

“Accountability and open communication define my leadership.”

Suzy Lord, South Dade News Leader candidate profile

“I worked very hard in my first term and plan to continue to work hard for the residents.”

Suzy Lord, after her 2024 re-election, Miami’s Community Newspapers

“I’m running for Mayor because I love Cutler Bay.”

Suzy Lord, campaign website

Record and Priorities

Top issues

In a questionnaire published by the South Dade News Leader on Aug. 14, 2026, and in the Miami Herald’s Sept. 22 questionnaire, Lord named the town’s economic stability, bringing jobs to Cutler Bay, and residents’ safety and well-being as the most important issues. She told the News Leader her priority is to protect the community vision set in the town’s planning charrette more than 20 years ago.

She told the News Leader her first priority would remain residents’ protection and welfare and oversight of town staff for transparency and fiscal responsibility. She also said she would support businesses already in town, recruit new ones, advocate for environmental protection and continue improving existing parks.

Development and traffic

Lord describes herself as an advocate for “smart growth” and told the News Leader she favors development “that elevates our community without overwhelming it.” She said she would require independent traffic studies commissioned by the town rather than developers, with mitigation such as integrated public transit and bus stops in place before construction finishes. She said that on the council she championed streamlining the building-permit process at Town Hall. Her campaign platform lists responsible growth, better roads and mobility, and protecting wetlands and tree canopy among its priorities.

Cost of living and flood insurance

In an Oct. 8 Local 10 News report, Lord said the rising cost of living has been crippling for many people. She pointed to the town’s rating in the National Flood Insurance Program’s system, which Local 10 reported gives residents a 35% discount on flood insurance, and said she wants to improve that rating further. She also cited an intergenerational housing project the town recently approved, which Local 10 reported will offer lower costs for first responders and military members.

Public safety, parks and finances

Her website lists safer neighborhoods and resources for police, fiscal responsibility, investment in parks and green space, and a Town Hall focused on basic services among her priorities. It says that as a council member she has worked to strengthen public safety, expand and improve parks, protect natural resources and maintain fiscal responsibility.

Accessibility

Lord told the News Leader she welcomes phone calls, emails and in-person meetings and has connected personally with every resident who contacted her as a council member. She also said she is the only woman running for mayor and that a female mayor would reflect the town’s diversity.

Earlier commitments

After her 2020 win, the Miami Herald reported that her immediate priorities included addressing traffic, including a ride-sharing program to connect residents to rapid transit, and promoting preservation of the town’s wetlands. Her town biography says she is committed to protecting the town’s environment and endangered wetlands and to limiting traffic and expanding public transportation options.

What This Office Does

Cutler Bay operates under a council-manager form of government. The five-member Town Council, made up of the mayor, the vice mayor and three council members elected from residential seats, sets policy, adopts the annual budget and passes ordinances, according to the town’s Town Council page. All members are elected townwide in nonpartisan elections. The council also serves as the town’s Local Planning Agency, which makes it responsible for the Comprehensive Development Master Plan and land development regulations. A professional town manager runs day-to-day operations.

The mayor is recognized as head of town government, presides over council meetings, appoints all committees and delivers an annual State of the Town address. The mayor’s annual salary is $21,880.08, according to the Town Clerk. The council meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 10720 Caribbean Blvd.

About Cutler Bay

Cutler Bay, the former Cutler Ridge area southwest of downtown Miami along Biscayne Bay, incorporated in 2005. The 2020 U.S. Census counted 45,425 residents, and Political Cortadito reported the town has almost 30,000 registered voters. The town lies within Miami-Dade County Commission District 8.

Growth is a central issue in this election. The largest project is the redevelopment of the former Southland Mall into SouthPlace City Center, which Political Cortadito reported developers describe as a roughly $1.5 billion, multi-year project with thousands of residences, retail, a hotel and public spaces. The town is also planning a new Town Hall and civic center. Flooding, traffic and the cost of living are recurring themes in candidate statements.

The Race

Four candidates qualified for mayor during the July 23 to Aug. 6 qualifying period:

Robert “B.J.” Duncan, who has held Council Seat 1 since 2018 and is term-limited in that seat.
Suzy Lord, who has held Council Seat 2 since 2020 and resigned that seat, effective Nov. 3, 2026, to run for mayor.
Ricardo De Melo Gomes, a licensed building contractor.
Clint Rodriguez, a tech and entertainment entrepreneur.

Cutler Bay’s municipal races were not on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. That primary, as the South Dade News Leader reported on Aug. 21, settled the Miami-Dade County Commission District 8 seat that includes Cutler Bay. If no mayoral candidate wins more than half the vote on Nov. 3, the top two would meet in a runoff on Dec. 1, 2026, according to the Miami-Dade Elections 2026 calendar.

Because Lord resigned, the remaining two years of her Seat 2 term will be filled in a special election on Jan. 26, 2027, with qualifying from Nov. 5 to Nov. 19, 2026. Also on the Nov. 3 town ballot are Council Seat 1 (Ricky Fernandez, James Richie Hawkins and Mary Ann Mixon) and Seat 3 (incumbent Richard Ramirez and Rene Gomez).

How to Vote

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Vote at your assigned precinct.
Early voting: Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, according to the Town Clerk.
Vote-by-mail: The deadline to request a mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Possible runoff: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026.

Check your registration, precinct and sample ballot through the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.

Community Leadership Alliance is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. This profile is based on public records, candidate statements and news coverage, including the South Dade News Leader. Candidates who wish to submit corrections may contact us through our Contact page.