Miami Beach mayoral candidate Joshua LaRose, creator of the Florida Billionaires Political Committee, has been disqualified from the race.

The reason? His qualifying check bounced.

LaRose submitted the $1,360 check to the city on Sept. 10, one day before the qualifying deadline. But the city learned Sept. 18 that SunTrust Bank had returned the check because the 28-year-old candidate did not have sufficient funds in his account.

In a memorandum issued Tuesday, City Attorney Jose Smith wrote that LaRose would be disqualified because he ``failed to comply with the City Charter's requirement that the qualifying fee be paid within the subject qualifying period.''

LaRose, who lists music producer and lobbyist among his occupations, said Tuesday that he created the account on Sept. 9 with a $500 cash deposit and then deposited an additional $2,000 in checks the next day. He said the bank held the last $2,000, which caused his check to bounce.

He said the city told him Friday that the check had bounced.

LaRose, in addition to filing as a candidate in several other races, has created at least 99 political action committees in the state.

LaRose, citing state law, said he should have been given 48 hours to pay the fee with campaign funds but was denied the opportunity -- and that Mayor Matti Bower had something to do with it.

``She wants me out of the race,'' LaRose said.

Smith wrote in an e-mail that state law does not apply to municipal elections.

Bower said she was advised of LaRose's disqualification but had nothing to do with the decision. The mayoral election is nonpartisan.

LaRose said he does not plan to fight the city's decision. He will remain in the 2010 race for governor and the 2012 race for U.S. Senate as a Republican, he said. His exit leaves three candidates for the Miami Beach mayor's seat: Bower and challengers Raphael Herman and Laura Rivero Levey.