Coral Gables appoints former mayor to fill city commission vacancy
The City of Coral Gables on Tuesday appointed former Mayor Jim Cason to fill the commission seat vacated by Jorge Fors, who ran for the Miami-Dade County Commission District 6 seat and lost last month to Trump-endorsed Kevin Cabrera.
“I think that we need to pick somebody who is clearly seasoned and understands and can hit the ground running,” Mayor Vince Lago said during the commission meeting. “In my opinion, I think the most competent person who can potentially hold the seat for the next six months, who I think has an untarnished and respected view on this issue and on the city, is Mayor Jim Cason.”
The commission voted unanimously for Cason, whose appointment will end in April when Fors’ term was set to expire.
Cason previously served three terms as the mayor of Coral Gables, from 2011 to 2017. He is also a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer, having served in U.S. embassies in Venezuela, Panama, Portugal, Italy, El Salvador, Bolivia and Uruguay, according to his resume. The former diplomat was also the chief of mission for the U.S. Interests Section in Havana and the director of regional affairs for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
In an email statement to the Herald, Cason said he is “honored to have been selected to fill the vacancy,” but that he does not intend to run for the seat.
“I’ve been happily retired but always willing to help the city in any way I can,” Cason said. “I will not be a candidate in the next election and encourage the others who sought this appointment to consider running.”
Last month, the city solicited applications from Coral Gables citizens to fill the vacant seat. Cason was among seven candidates who applied, although the city was allowed to select someone outside of that applicant pool.
Lago, who is up for reelection in April, said he considered “a litany of people” for the role, including former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli and former Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick, neither of whom applied.
Vice Mayor Mike Mena said Cason was the only applicant who had firsthand experience on the commission.
“Jim Cason is the obvious choice,” Mena said.
Neighbors group backed another candidate
The Coral Gables Neighbors Association put its support behind Maria Cruz, a longtime community member who is often vocal at city commission meetings.
“Maria Cruz is simply the best candidate for this temporary commission seat,” Sue Kawalerski, president of the Coral Gables Neighbors Association, said at Tuesday’s meeting.
Cruz said that the community “for months” had heard that the Coral Gables commission had already selected Fors’ replacement, and said she hadn’t considered the vacancy until Kawalerski approached her about it.
“She said there are two types of candidates: Political candidates and people’s choice,” Cruz said, recalling the conversation. “I said, if people want me, I’m game, I will do it.”
Coral Gables resident Gordon Sokoloff agreed.
“I see Maria here at every meeting,” Sokoloff said. “She’s very much a voice of the residents.”
Mena said the appointment will last for about six commission meetings and that residents will have the opportunity to choose their commissioner in the spring.
This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 1:37 PM.
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