Candidate: Michele Miller

Dear Neighbor and Mexico Beach Registered Voter,

Let me take a moment and introduce myself to you. I am Michele Miller, and I’d like to be your next mayor of Mexico Beach. The upcoming election on April 18th is one that can change how our city sets itself up for sustainability. As your mayor, I want to guide progress in a S.M.A.R.T. way. Sustainable, Maintains the environment, Appropriate local codes, Resilient and Targeted Community Values.

First, a little about who I am. I was born in Madisonville, Kentucky, and I was raised by a single mother on a tight budget after my father died in a mining accident when I was six. In my mid-twenties, I was the first to go to college and received my Associates of Nursing to become a registered nurse. This led me to continue my education and complete my Doctorate degree in leadership and management. I now teach research and leadership advocacy for an online university.

I had visited this area for many years before we purchased property in 2015. Our home was destroyed when Hurricane Michael devastated the area in 2018. My passion for advocacy led me to become more involved in our community as a member of the Planning and Zoning Board with the thought of helping rebuild our city. I served for 2 ½ years without missing a meeting.

In August of last year, I and two other residents held a citizens forum. The purpose was to gather concerns from residents and share them with the city council. From this citizens forum, accusations were made that I and three other members of the P&Z Board had violated the Florida Sunshine Law. It was determined that there was no wrongdoing, and the case was ultimately dismissed.

I have a three-step approach which will follow my S.M.A.R.T. plan:

1. Growth and Infrastructure – Growth in our city is inevitable but it should be controlled and managed. We should not let growth get ahead of the infrastructure that is required to support it. My vision is for the council to work together to better plan for our future growth.
2. Budget and Spending – Our city’s budget has significantly increased in the past couple of years. My vision is to have more transparency on the budgeting and spending of our tax dollars. 
3. Citizen’s Input – I value our residents’ input. I think that having a more open council that listens to the concerns and ideas of the residents would be extremely beneficial. My vision is to establish more public forums, like having a night council meeting where citizens can voice their concerns or ask questions of their elected officials and get answers.

I am confident that my leadership style in planning for our future is an asset for Mexico Beach. I want to honor the past of our coastal town and embrace the future. With your vote, we can create a community that everyone is proud to call home.

Thank you for your consideration,

Dr. Michele Miller, RN, MSN