About The Palm Bayer

Independent hyperlocal journalism for Palm Bay, Florida. Founded March 2023.

Our Mission

The Palm Bayer covers Palm Bay, Florida with the same rigor applied to any major city. City council decisions, development approvals, utility rates, infrastructure spending, public safety, and the legal actions that shape the community. We read the agendas. We attend the meetings. We dig into the documents.

Palm Bay is the largest city in Brevard County by population. It deserves serious local journalism. The Palm Bayer exists to provide it.

Everything we publish is free. No paywall. No subscriptions required to read. We believe local news should be accessible to every resident, not just those who can afford it.

What We Cover

City Council - votes, decisions, agendas, and what they mean for residents
Development - new projects, land use applications, zoning decisions
Infrastructure - roads, drainage, utilities, and long-term capital planning
Public Safety - police, fire, and emergency services
Municipal Finance - budgets, bonds, fee increases, and how the city spends money
Charter and Legal - charter review, litigation, ordinances, and government accountability
Community - events, parks, library, schools, and local happenings
Data - cost of living tracker, lawsuit tracker, interactive tools and datasets

Editorial Standards

We quote documents verbatim and cite section numbers. We verify names against official rosters before publication. We do not publish rumors or speculation as fact. When we make a mistake, we correct it promptly and transparently.

We do not editorialize within news coverage. Opinion and analysis are labeled as such. Sources are documented at the end of every article.

We do not accept advertising. We are not affiliated with any political campaign, party, or candidate. We accept no money from the city, county, or any government entity.

Data Journalism

The Palm Bayer publishes data-forward articles: stat cards, vote breakdowns, interactive charts, and structured tables embedded directly in the article body. These are not decorations. They are the reporting. Where a number matters, we show it clearly. Where a vote happened, we show who voted and how.

About the Author

Thomas Gaume

Editor and Publisher

Thomas Gaume is a Palm Bay resident and civic journalist covering city government, infrastructure, and municipal finance. He founded The Palm Bayer in March 2023. A U.S. Navy veteran and longtime Space Coast technology professional, he serves on the Palm Bay Charter Review Commission as Vice-Chair. He can be reached at thomas@thepalmbayer.com.

Publication History

The Palm Bayer launched in March 2023 on Substack. Since then, the publication has grown to cover more than 700 articles across city council, infrastructure, public safety, and community topics. In 2026, the publication moved to its own news site at news.thepalmbayer.com to enable richer article formats, including interactive data tables, video, and inline charts that newsletter email delivery cannot support.

Substack remains the email delivery platform. Every story publishes first at news.thepalmbayer.com. Subscribers receive full articles in their inbox.

Contact

For story tips, corrections, public records requests, and press inquiries, see the contact page.