Candidate Lasaly Changkachith, Palmetto Bay Council Seat 3

Lasaly Changkachith is running for Seat 3 on the Palmetto Bay Village Council in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Council Member Marsha Matson is term-limited. Changkachith shares the ballot with three other candidates: Carl Crawford, Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson and A.J. “AL” Lara.

At a Glance

Office: Village of Palmetto Bay Councilmember, Seat 3 (nonpartisan)
Area covered: Seat 3 is the council seat for the village’s Southern residential area. Candidates must live in that area.
Incumbent? No. The seat is open.
Opponents on the ballot: Carl Crawford, Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson and A.J. “AL” Lara
Filing: Registered June 9, 2026, and qualified Aug. 3, 2026, according to the Village of Palmetto Bay
Campaign website: electlasaly.com

Background

Changkachith’s campaign website says she grew up in Homestead. She and her husband lived in Chicago and Atlanta before settling in Palmetto Bay, which the site says they chose for its tree canopy, its safety and its closeness to Biscayne Bay. The couple raised three children in the village. According to the site, both sons graduated from Coral Reef Senior High, one through the International Baccalaureate program and the other through the Visual and Performing Arts magnet, and their daughter graduated from the School for Advanced Studies.

The campaign biography describes years of volunteer work with young people. It says she coached a winning Odyssey of the Mind team at Frank C. Martin K-8 and spent more than 20 years as an adult Scout leader, the last seven as Scoutmaster. Both of her sons became Eagle Scouts. She now coaches badminton at Coral Reef Senior High. The site says she was a regional badminton champion when she attended Homestead Senior High.

Changkachith serves on the Village of Palmetto Bay’s Resiliency Committee. Her website says she is working on a community composting program, the restoration of the wooded area known as The Woods, and the village’s application to become a Keep America Beautiful affiliate. In her Miami Herald questionnaire answers she called herself the committee’s chair and listed volunteer work at pine rockland restorations, recycling drives and beach cleanups.

The campaign site says she has a background in science and technology but does not name a degree or employer. It also says her eldest son is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force, that a family member works in local law enforcement, and that her family helped lead fundraising to build Wat Buddharangsi, a Buddhist temple in the Redlands.

Miami’s Community News published a video interview with her, hosted by Michael Miller, on Oct. 5, 2026.

In Their Own Words

All of the quotes below come from Changkachith’s answers in the Miami Herald’s Palmetto Bay candidate questionnaire, published Sept. 24, 2026.

“Palmetto Bay’s council has become mired in division, chaos covered not just by the Miami Herald and WLRN, but by the New York Times. Our village deserves better.”

Lasaly Changkachith, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“I’m running to replace infighting with calm, collaborative leadership and thoughtful proposals that protect the character and essence that make Palmetto Bay home.”

Lasaly Changkachith, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“I understand how the council is run and respect that the real work for our village is done by village administration and staff.”

Lasaly Changkachith, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“Since council decisions affect the whole village, residents should keep voting at-large.”

Lasaly Changkachith, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

Where She Stands on the Issues

Changkachith has not held elected office, so she has no voting record. Her positions below are the ones stated on her campaign website and in her Herald answers. The site groups her platform under three headings.

Fiscal responsibility and resident input

Spend village tax dollars on Palmetto Bay residents first.
Base council decisions on community priorities rather than outside interests.
Be transparent and accountable on spending with every vote.
Seek residents’ views throughout the year, not only at election time.

Traffic and street safety

Add more roundabouts to slow traffic at intersections while keeping cars moving.
Lower speeds on neighborhood streets.
Adopt rules for e-bikes and electric scooters, especially for young riders.
Improve crossings and sidewalks for people on foot and on bicycles.

Green space, water and Biscayne Bay

Protect pine rocklands and mangroves.
Protect the Biscayne Aquifer and bring back permeable ground that lets rain recharge it.
Enforce zoning openly and require new development to account for its environmental costs.

Referendum 4 and district concerns

When the Herald asked about the most pressing issue, Changkachith listed concerns she said vary by area, including the FPL-Luxcom settlement, traffic, peacocks, and what she called “Burger King headquarters gentrification” in District 3. She said one question affects every resident: Referendum 4, which would elect council members by single-member district. She favors keeping village-wide voting, as quoted above.

What This Office Does

Palmetto Bay was incorporated on Sept. 10, 2002, and had 24,439 residents in the 2020 Census. It covers about 8.4 square miles in South Miami-Dade (Census figures via Wikipedia). The Village Council has five members: the mayor, the vice mayor and three council members. The village directory currently lists Mayor Karyn Cunningham, Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer and Council Members Patrick Fiore, Steve Cody and Marsha Matson.

Section 2.03 of the village charter divides Palmetto Bay into three residential areas. Seat 1 represents the Northern Area, Seat 2 the Central Area and Seat 3 the Southern Area. To run for a council seat, a candidate must have lived in the village continuously for at least two years before qualifying. The candidate must also live in the seat’s residential area when qualifying, when elected and for the whole term (Village of Palmetto Bay).

Issues before the council

The Luxcom property. Luxcom has asked the village to rezone about 60 acres at 6527 SW 152 St., the site of a former FPL power plant. The request would change the zoning from E-1, which allows one-acre estate homes, to Planned Area Development. Luxcom also sued the village in November 2020 under Florida’s Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act, seeking more than $20 million. The village scheduled a public workshop and a zoning hearing on the application (Miami’s Community News, Oct. 3, 2026).
Six charter referendums on the same ballot (Florida Politics):
- Referendum 1 would let public speakers give only their name and municipality instead of a home address, and would require written comments to be submitted and distributed before a meeting.
- Referendum 2 would require voter approval for most sales, transfers, leases or licenses of village property. Leases of three years or less would be exempt.
- Referendum 3 would direct the village to try to acquire the U.S. Department of Agriculture property near SW 136th Street and SW 67th Avenue for park or open space use if it becomes available.
- Referendum 4 would change Council Seats 1, 2 and 3 to 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 village-wide.
- Referendum 5 would change how term limits are counted and add a four-year waiting period after an official reaches the limit.
- Referendum 6 would require sidewalks, bike paths and golf-cart facilities in roadway projects unless at least four council members waive the requirement. It would also create a dedicated transportation fund.

The Race

All four Seat 3 candidates qualified during the village’s qualifying period, which ran from noon Aug. 3 to noon Aug. 14, 2026. They appear on the ballot in this order: Lasaly Changkachith, Carl Crawford, Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson and A.J. “AL” Lara (Miami-Dade Elections master ballot).

Carl Crawford is a Palmetto Bay homeowner and business owner who says he has nearly 30 years of experience in real estate, business and project management. He lists managing growth as his first priority (South Dade News Leader).
Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson ran for Palmetto Bay mayor in 2022. He told the Herald he is running to restore civility, honesty and accountability, and he cited his small-business experience.
A.J. “AL” Lara was the first of the four to register, in June 2025. He cites experience in leadership, operations, facilities and budgeting, and his campaign site describes nearly two decades of work with local law enforcement.

Palmetto Bay voters will also choose a mayor, with Karen Baez-Wallis, Tamara Mourino and former Council Member David M. Singer on the ballot, and a Seat 1 council member, with Pam Gorman and Tana Llinas running. All three offices are open because the incumbents are term-limited (Political Cortadito). Former Vice Mayor John DuBois registered to run for mayor but withdrew to run for Miami-Dade County Commission District 8. He lost that race to Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins in the Aug. 18 primary (South Dade News Leader). If one is needed, Palmetto Bay’s runoff date is Dec. 1, 2026 (Florida Politics).

How to Vote

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your assigned precinct.
Early voting: Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, at any Miami-Dade early voting site. Sites in South Dade include the Coral Reef Branch Library, 9211 SW 152nd St., and the South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211th St. (early voting schedule).
Vote by mail: The Elections Department must receive your request by 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election, which is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. A postmarked request does not count. Completed ballots must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day (Miami-Dade Elections).
To check your registration, find your sample ballot or look up your polling place, visit Miami-Dade Elections.

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.