Candidate David M. Singer, Palmetto Bay Mayor

David M. Singer, a certified public accountant and former member of the Palmetto Bay Village Council, is running for mayor of the Village of Palmetto Bay in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Mayor Karyn Cunningham is term-limited. Karen Baez-Wallis and Tamara Mourino are also on the ballot for mayor, according to the Miami-Dade County sample ballot.

At a Glance

Office: Mayor, Village of Palmetto Bay
Area covered: Villagewide; the mayor is elected at large
Incumbent? No. The seat is open; Mayor Karyn Cunningham is term-limited.
Opponents on ballot: Karen Baez-Wallis, Tamara Mourino
Campaign website: VoteDavidSinger.com

Background

Singer describes himself on his campaign website as a lifelong Palmetto Bay resident, a financial professional and a former Village Councilmember. In a candidate questionnaire published by the South Dade News Leader on Oct. 2, 2026, he listed his background as a CPA, a business executive and a former councilmember.

Village records confirm his council service. The agenda for the May 6, 2019 regular council meeting lists him as Council Member for Seat 2, serving alongside Mayor Cunningham, then-Vice Mayor John DuBois and Council Members Patrick Fiore and Marsha Matson. In a Miami Herald candidate questionnaire published Sept. 24, 2026, Singer said he served on the council for four years.

Singer has been on the Seat 2 ballot twice since then. Local 10’s 2020 race list shows Singer and Steve Cody as the Seat 2 candidates that year. In 2024 he challenged Cody again. Cody won that race with 7,521 votes to Singer’s 5,509, Community Newspapers reported. Cody told the paper he had won by 498 votes in 2020.

Singer filed to run for mayor on Feb. 21, 2025, according to registration dates the village clerk provided to Community Newspapers.

In Their Own Words

“I’m running because our Village needs steady, reliable leadership that focuses on sound management rather than internal political conflict.”

David Singer, South Dade News Leader candidate questionnaire, Oct. 2, 2026

“I know how to audit budgets line-by-line, safeguard public funds, and cut through government bureaucracy.”

David Singer, South Dade News Leader candidate questionnaire, Oct. 2, 2026

“I’ve been on the council for four years, and I’m not learning on the job.”

David M. Singer, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“Residents in Florida pay a lot of money for insurance, they pay a lot of money in real estate taxes, and I think it’s time to give them a break.”

David Singer, speaking to CBS Miami, Oct. 9, 2026

“Listening to residents will always come before political agendas.”

David Singer, South Dade News Leader candidate questionnaire, Oct. 2, 2026

Where He Stands on the Issues

Village finances

Singer has made fiscal management the center of his campaign. In the South Dade News Leader questionnaire, he named restoring fiscal responsibility as the first of his three top issues: cutting wasteful spending, protecting reserves and directing tax dollars to core needs. He said his first major priority would be a full fiscal and operational review of village operations, with the goal of protecting emergency reserves and steering money toward police coverage, road repairs and park maintenance. He also said he would use his CPA background to keep tax rates low and reduce non-essential administrative spending.

In the Herald questionnaire, he described the most pressing issue as a breakdown in fiscal accountability and stable, focused leadership at Village Hall.

Amendment 3 and the budget

Singer told CBS Miami he supports Amendment 3, the statewide property tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, and said tax relief is needed because of South Florida’s rising cost of living. To make up for lost revenue, he said he would look at budget cuts while keeping public safety fully funded. He named parks and the village’s free events as places to review, and said some events that are free now might carry a small charge, such as $5.

Development and traffic

Singer told the News Leader he would pursue smart-growth policies that protect single-family zoning and make sure utilities and drainage keep up with growth nearby. On traffic, he said he would work with Miami-Dade County and other regional partners on signal timing, speeding by pass-through drivers and local congestion. His campaign website lists “Restore Smart Growth & Quality of Life” as one of five priorities.

Public safety

He told the News Leader he would keep strong funding for police patrols and parks. His website calls safe neighborhoods “non-negotiable” and lists public safety as a top priority.

Accountability and access

Singer said he would hold regular informal neighborhood town halls, keep an open door at Village Hall and make sure residents get information before major votes. The other priorities on his website are accountability and transparency, fiscal discipline, and what the campaign calls “Stability at Village Hall.”

Council record

The May 6, 2019 council agenda lists several items Singer sponsored. They include a resolution asking the upcoming Charter Review Committee to examine council compensation and benefits; two transparency resolutions, one requiring disclosure of who sponsored member proposals and of contacts with lobbyists and community groups, and one requiring officials to use official village email accounts; a resolution urging Miami-Dade County to restore transit sales tax money to capital projects; and an ordinance to prohibit plastic straws. The agenda shows only that these items were sponsored and scheduled, not how the council voted on them.

What This Office Does

The Village of Palmetto Bay was incorporated on Sept. 10, 2002. It covers about 8.4 square miles between U.S. 1 and Biscayne Bay, bordered by Pinecrest to the north and Cutler Bay to the south, 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. The mayor is elected villagewide and serves on the council with the other four members. Council agendas also list a village manager, a village attorney and a village clerk. Under the current charter, officials may serve no more than two consecutive terms in the same office, according to Florida Politics.

The next mayor will take office as the village faces a possible revenue loss. If Amendment 3 passes, the village manager estimates Palmetto Bay would lose about $2.2 million, or 8% of revenue, in 2027 and about $3.5 million, or 14%, in 2028, CBS Miami reported. Mayor Cunningham told the station that the current budget is already set, so any changes would come in the next budget cycle.

Voters will also decide six village charter questions, Florida Politics reported:

Public speakers giving only their name and municipality instead of a home address
Requiring 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 if it becomes available
Electing Council Seats 1, 2 and 3 by single-member districts starting in 2028
Changing term limits and adding a waiting period
Requiring pedestrian, bicycle and golf cart facilities in road projects

The Race

Three candidates qualified for mayor. Former Vice Mayor John DuBois registered for the race but withdrew in June to challenge Miami-Dade County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, Florida Politics reported. Cohen Higgins won that District 8 race outright in the Aug. 18 primary, the South Dade News Leader reported. Palmetto Bay’s municipal races were not on the August ballot.

Karen Baez-Wallis is a registered nurse with more than 30 years of experience, including executive roles in trauma and emergency services. She is running on public safety, transparency and stopping overdevelopment.
Tamara Mourino is a small-business owner and former president of the Palmetto Bay Business Association. She is running on preserving the village’s bedroom-community character and green space.

Florida Politics reported that Palmetto Bay will hold a runoff on Dec. 1 if one is needed. 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.