Miami Mayoral Candidates Face Overtown Voters at Town Hall Tonight

Miami mayoral candidates are set to engage Overtown voters directly at a community town hall Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Jackson’s Soul Food, 950 NW 3rd Ave. The event, announced by Hy-Lo News, features eight confirmed participants: Christian E. Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Kenneth James Desantis, Michael A. Hepburn, Eileen Higgins, Ken Russell, Xavier L. Suarez and June Savage. Moderated by former state Sen. Dwight Bullard and Janéy Tate of Hy-Lo News and That Part Podcast, the discussion targets key issues like housing affordability, policing and neighborhood investment. Organized by a coalition including the Overtown Children & Youth Coalition, NAACP Miami-Dade, Just Vote, Florida Rising, Black Men Win Together, Going Overtown, Hy-Lo News, That Part Podcast and All Like Minds Media, the free event invites all residents. No endorsements will be issued. Contact [email protected] for details. It precedes the Nov. 4 general election and potential December runoff, per the City of Miami elections page. Overtown residents face pressing local concerns echoed statewide, including an 11,000-acre Everglades wildfire degrading South Florida air quality. The Florida Forest Service reports active containment efforts; locals should check AirNow.gov for real-time AQI and limit outdoor activity if unhealthy levels persist near NW 3rd Ave. Mayoral hopefuls may address such environmental threats alongside affordability and transit, as noted in WLRN reporting on campaign themes. Recent state actions add context: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a foreign influence bill effective July 1, barring officials from foreign gifts and ending sister-city pacts, per state records. This could impact Miami's international ties, a topic for tonight's forum. Public safety stings, like Martin County's six sex trafficking arrests and Tampa's 22 youth violence detentions, underscore policing priorities relevant to Overtown's community safety efforts. As Florida gas prices dip to $4.40 statewide, Overtown commuters gain slight relief amid cost-of-living strains. The town hall offers residents a platform to press candidates on leveraging state resilience funds for local infrastructure, connecting to the Senate's $2 trillion national bill.