Candidate Pam Gorman, Palmetto Bay Council Seat 1

Pam Gorman, a Palmetto Bay resident since 1993 with a long career in finance, is running for Village Council Seat 1 in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Councilmember Patrick Fiore is term-limited. Tana Llinas is the only other candidate on the ballot for Seat 1, according to the Miami-Dade County sample ballot.

At a Glance

Office: Village Council, Seat 1, Village of Palmetto Bay
Area covered: Seat 1 is currently elected by voters villagewide
Incumbent? No. The seat is open; Councilmember Patrick Fiore is term-limited.
Opponent on ballot: Tana Llinas
Campaign website: PamForPalmettoBay.com

Background

Gorman’s campaign website says she and her late husband settled in Palmetto Bay in 1993. She has two adult children, and her daughter’s family also owns a home in the village. The website says she graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, then studied accounting and finance. She went on to a 34-year finance career that included senior accountant jobs at Baptist Health South Florida, North Shore Medical Center and the Knight-Ridder Shared Services Center.

Her website says she got involved in village affairs soon after Palmetto Bay incorporated in 2002, starting with a push to repair sidewalks. She later advocated for Fire Station 62, which is now open, and has worked with Miami-Dade County and the South Florida Water Management District on issues involving Canal 100 (C-100). The website lists her as a member of the Palmetto Bay Garden Club and the Native Plant Network at Fairchild. It also says she was secretary of the P3 Downtown Task Force and has served on the village’s Age Friendly Task Force and Arts in Public Places Committee. She hosts a yearly neighborhood block party where residents can meet village, county and state officials.

This is Gorman’s second run for Seat 1. In 2022 she challenged Fiore, who was the incumbent. Fiore won with 5,885 votes, or 57.22%, to Gorman’s 4,399 votes, or 42.78%, Community Newspapers reported from county election results. Florida Politics describes her as a longtime resident and activist.

In Their Own Words

“I’m running to protect what makes Palmetto Bay special: our neighborhoods, our bedroom community character and the quality of life that brought us here.”

Pam Gorman, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“I will bring fresh ideas, fiscal responsibility and a more constructive approach to Village Hall, with less political drama, more listening and a focus on delivering results for residents.”

Pam Gorman, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“I bring unmatched financial experience, with 34 years managing budgets, controlling costs and making tough decisions, along with a proven record of getting things done for Palmetto Bay.”

Pam Gorman, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“I will not support high-density projects and will advocate for responsible development that improves our quality of life.”

Pam Gorman, as a 2022 Seat 1 candidate, Community Newspapers candidate questionnaire, Oct. 3, 2022

Where She Stands on the Issues

Development

Overdevelopment has been central to both of Gorman’s campaigns. In the 2026 Herald questionnaire, she said she has opposed overdevelopment for years and wants to preserve the village’s bedroom-community character, require responsible development and protect neighborhoods and green space. Her website says she supports “responsible growth” that respects the character of the village’s neighborhoods. In her 2022 questionnaire, she said high-density projects were adding cars to already congested roads.

Taxes and spending

Her campaign website says she opposes the village’s proposed property tax increase, which the site calls the highest in Palmetto Bay’s history. It says she will fight wasteful spending and push Village Hall to “live within its means.” She points to her accounting career as preparation for reviewing the village budget.

Traffic

Her website says she will push for smarter signal timing, better coordination with Miami-Dade County, traffic calming on residential streets and measures to reduce cut-through traffic in neighborhoods.

Public safety

She calls for a more visible police presence, including bike and foot patrols, targeted enforcement where speeding and crime are concentrated, and more patrols in parks.

Parks, environment and new issues

Her website says she would protect green spaces and the tree canopy and improve park maintenance. It also lists issues she says the village should prepare for now: safeguards for e-bikes, keeping data centers out of Palmetto Bay, and getting ahead of flooding and stormwater problems.

Tone at Village Hall

Her website says Village Hall should focus on residents, “not personal battles and political infighting.”

What This Office Does

The Village of Palmetto Bay was incorporated on Sept. 10, 2002, and had 24,439 residents in the 2020 Census, according to Census figures compiled on Wikipedia. The Village Council has five members: the mayor, the vice mayor and three numbered seats. Seat 1 is held by Patrick Fiore, who told Community Newspapers in 2022 that he was first elected in 2010 and again in 2018. The council votes on the village budget and on land-use questions. In that same 2022 interview, Fiore pointed to his votes on a proposed condominium expansion on Old Cutler Road and on zoning for the former FPL property. Council agendas also list a village manager, a village attorney and a village clerk.

The way Seat 1 is elected could change. Referendum 4 on this year’s ballot would turn Council Seats 1, 2 and 3 into single-member districts, starting with Seat 2 in 2028 and Seats 1 and 3 in 2030. The mayor and vice mayor would still be elected villagewide, Florida Politics reported. The other five charter questions deal with:

Public speakers’ home address disclosure
Voter approval for most sales or leases of village property
Pursuing the U.S. Department of Agriculture property near Southwest 136th Street and 67th Avenue for park use
Term limits and a waiting period
Pedestrian, bicycle and golf cart facilities in road projects

The new council will also face budget questions. If the statewide Amendment 3 property tax measure passes, the village manager estimates Palmetto Bay would lose about $2.2 million in revenue in 2027 and about $3.5 million in 2028, CBS Miami reported.

The Race

Gorman and Llinas are the only two candidates for Seat 1. The same ballot includes an open mayor’s race (Karen Baez-Wallis, Tamara Mourino and David M. Singer) and a four-way race for the open Seat 3. Palmetto Bay’s municipal races were not on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. The South Dade News Leader’s primary roundup covered the county and state races that were.

Tana Llinas has owned a business in Palmetto Bay for nearly 20 years and is a past chair of the Palmetto Bay Business Association. She is running on managing the budget, protecting quality of life and creating a comprehensive mobility plan.

Around Palmetto Bay held a nonpartisan candidate forum on Oct. 3, WLRN reported.

How to Vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line by 7 p.m. may vote. Early voting in Miami-Dade County runs from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, NBC6 reported. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 22, according to NBC6 and the South Dade News Leader. Completed mail ballots must reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. Sample ballots, polling places and vote-by-mail requests are available from the Miami-Dade 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.