Gables Mayor Wins Re-election, Miami Shores Elects New Mayor
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Mayor of Coral Gables won re-election Tuesday to a second two-year term.
Jim Cason defeated Commissioner Ralph Cabrera who has been a part of the Coral Gables Commission for 12 years but can no longer serve due to term limits.
Cason won nearly 71-percent of the vote. He stressed lowering property tax rates, building up the city's reserves and reforming the city's pensions. Cason said he will push the Streetscape renovation of Miracle Mile, the city's main commercial hub.
In the Group 2 race to fill Cabrera's commission seat, Vince Lago, a projects manager with BDI Construction & Design, defeated civic and arts volunteer Marlin Ebbert with 53-percent of the vote. Ross Hancock, a communications director for the American Welding Society, finished third.
Five people ran for Maria Anderson's Group 3 Commission seat. Anderson, like Cabrera, was term-limited after 12 years on the commission. Longtime civic volunteer and Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Board member Patricia (Pat) Keon won the seat with 49-percent of the vote.
The election had a low 23-percent turnout. 7,101 residents voted out of 30,672 registered voters.
The reelected mayor, who serves a two-year term, and the two new commissioners, who serve for four years, will be sworn in at a ceremony at noon Friday at Coral Gables City Hall.
Voters in Miami Shores also filled three open village council seats on Tuesday. Herta Holly earned the most votes, 1,033, and will become the Shores' new mayor.
Incumbent Jesse Walters finished second with 936 votes and will become vice mayor. Ivonne Ledesma garnered 803 votes for third place.
Holly and Walters will serve four-year terms. The first two years will be as mayor and vice mayor, respectively, and the second two years will be as regular council members. Ledesma will serve two years.
