Cutler Bay Mayor Meerbott faces political newcomer McCormick in bid for reelection
Cutler Bay Mayor Tim Meerbott will face off against political newcomer Thomas “Tom” McCormick in his bid for a second term.
The town, which was incorporated in 2005, has about 45,000 residents. Meerbott, 58, served on the first Town Council from 2006 to 2010. He was elected to a four-year term as mayor in 2018.
Meerbott said he envisions a Cutler Bay that is more than a bedroom community.
“That’s probably one of my boldest plans,” he said. “I’m going to create a South Dade that’s not just a place for you to live.”
In September, Meerbott announced details for the Southland Mall redevelopment project, which he said will generate $500 million during construction and create approximately 2,700 jobs. Plans for the “city within a city” include a hotel, over 4,000 market-rate apartments, 60,000-square-feet of medical office space, restaurants and a terraced community amphitheater. The town expects to break ground next year.
“Think sort of like a Doral CityPlace or Downtown Dadeland kind of feel,” Meerbott said, adding that this plan could help alleviate traffic in South Miami-Dade.
“All of the jobs are up north,” he said. “That’s why there’s so much traffic. If we had more jobs down south, then people wouldn’t have to drive as far.”
Meerbott has raised over $14,000 in this election, according to campaign finance records.
McCormick, 66, did not respond to the Herald’s requests for comment. He has raised over $6,500 in campaign contributions, according to campaign finance records. Much of that appears to be from his GoFundMe page, which shows $6,113 in donations.
“I am running for Mayor because I want to see Cutler Bay’s roots of strong bonds to family and friends grow and help make our town a better place for our children and grandchildren,” McCormick wrote on the GoFundMe page. He also said he is a U.S. Army veteran who has spent most of his life as a Cutler Bay resident.
In addition to the mayoral race, two candidates for Town Council qualified unopposed: Robert “BJ” Duncan for Seat 1, and Richard Ramirez for Seat 3.
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