Candidate Clint Rodriguez, Cutler Bay Mayor

Clint Rodriguez, a Cutler Bay resident who describes himself as an entrepreneur in technology and entertainment, is a candidate for mayor of the Town of Cutler Bay in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Mayor Tim Meerbott is term-limited. Also on the ballot for mayor are builder Ricardo De Melo Gomes and Council Members Robert “B.J.” Duncan and Suzy Lord, according to the Town Clerk’s list of qualified candidates.

At a Glance

Office: Mayor, Town of Cutler Bay (four-year term)
Area covered: Townwide; the mayor is elected at large and may live anywhere in town
Incumbent? No. The seat is open; Mayor Tim Meerbott is term-limited.
Opponents on ballot: Ricardo De Melo Gomes, Robert “B.J.” Duncan, Suzy Lord
Campaign website: clintforcutlerbay.com

Background

Rodriguez’s campaign website describes him as a Cutler Bay resident, a University of Miami graduate and an entrepreneur who has spent his career building teams, products and companies in tech and entertainment. It says he “chose Cutler Bay” and is running because he believes the town’s leadership should reflect the community it has become. The site is published in English and Spanish.

News coverage has described him in similar terms. Political Cortadito and Florida Politics, in a report republished by The Miami Times, identified him as a tech and entertainment entrepreneur running a bilingual campaign under the slogan “Same Town. New Chapter.” Rodriguez has not previously held elected office in Cutler Bay, and Community Leadership Alliance did not find further public detail on his business career or civic background in the sources reviewed.

Published coverage of his positions is limited. In the Miami Herald’s Sept. 22 candidate questionnaire, his answers were listed as “Awaiting response.” In an Oct. 8 Local 10 News report, the station said he declined to appear on camera for its interview. A Sept. 1 Miami’s Community Newspapers article said he did not yet have a campaign website at the time; one has since launched. The positions below are drawn from that website.

In Their Own Words

“Every empty storefront is a business someone wanted to open. I’ll make it easier, not harder.”

Clint Rodriguez, campaign website

“It’s time for leadership that matches the energy of the people who live here — not the town it used to be, but the town it is.”

Clint Rodriguez campaign, campaign website

“You don’t need a deed to have a voice.”

Clint Rodriguez campaign, campaign website

“This campaign runs on people, not PACs.”

Clint Rodriguez campaign, campaign website

Where He Stands on the Issues

Small business and economic activity

The centerpiece of Rodriguez’s platform is what the campaign calls running “on YES.” His website says Cutler Bay has too many empty storefronts, too few places for families to gather and too few reasons for young adults to stay in town in the evening. It says the town has a large entrepreneurial community in fields such as food, home services, beauty and the trades that would launch more businesses if the town made it easier. The campaign lists support for new restaurants on Caribbean Boulevard and for small businesses that have trouble navigating permitting.

The site draws a contrast with other candidates, saying they “talk about stopping development and protecting what we have,” and describes its own approach as being “pro-your-development” rather than pro-development in general.

SouthPlace City Center

The campaign says it wants to make SouthPlace, the redevelopment of the former Southland Mall, “a real community gathering place, not just a developer’s project.” The website does not detail specific zoning, density or traffic proposals for the project.

Bilingual and accessible town government

Rodriguez’s platform calls for a bilingual Town Hall, including live interpretation at council meetings and bilingual permitting and services. It proposes evening and weekend access to town services and digital tools that let residents pull permits, pay bills and file requests by phone.

Renters

The website says renters are full members of the community and that town government should work for them as well as homeowners. It states that two-thirds of residents arrived in Cutler Bay since 2005; that figure is the campaign’s claim and is not sourced on the site.

Campaign approach

The campaign says it relies on volunteers, door-to-door canvassing in English and Spanish, and word of mouth.

What This Office Does

Cutler Bay operates under a council-manager form of government. The five-member Town Council, made up of the mayor, the vice mayor and three council members elected from residential seats, sets policy, adopts the annual budget and passes ordinances, according to the town’s Town Council page. All members are elected townwide in nonpartisan elections. The council also serves as the town’s Local Planning Agency, which makes it responsible for the Comprehensive Development Master Plan and land development regulations. A professional town manager runs day-to-day operations.

The mayor is recognized as head of town government, presides over council meetings, appoints all committees and delivers an annual State of the Town address. The mayor’s annual salary is $21,880.08, according to the Town Clerk. The council meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 10720 Caribbean Blvd.

About Cutler Bay

Cutler Bay, the former Cutler Ridge area southwest of downtown Miami along Biscayne Bay, incorporated in 2005. The 2020 U.S. Census counted 45,425 residents, and Political Cortadito reported the town has almost 30,000 registered voters. The town lies within Miami-Dade County Commission District 8.

Growth is a central issue in this election. The largest project is the redevelopment of the former Southland Mall into SouthPlace City Center, which Political Cortadito reported developers describe as a roughly $1.5 billion, multi-year project with thousands of residences, retail, a hotel and public spaces. The town is also planning a new Town Hall and civic center. Flooding, traffic and the cost of living are recurring themes in candidate statements.

The Race

Four candidates qualified for mayor during the July 23 to Aug. 6 qualifying period:

Robert “B.J.” Duncan, who has held Council Seat 1 since 2018 and is term-limited in that seat.
Suzy Lord, who has held Council Seat 2 since 2020 and resigned that seat, effective Nov. 3, 2026, to run for mayor.
Ricardo De Melo Gomes, a licensed building contractor.
Clint Rodriguez, a tech and entertainment entrepreneur.

Cutler Bay’s municipal races were not on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. That primary, as the South Dade News Leader reported on Aug. 21, settled the Miami-Dade County Commission District 8 seat that includes Cutler Bay. If no mayoral candidate wins more than half the vote on Nov. 3, the top two would meet in a runoff on Dec. 1, 2026, according to the Miami-Dade Elections 2026 calendar.

Because Lord resigned to run, her Seat 2 will be filled in a special election on Jan. 26, 2027. Also on the Nov. 3 town ballot are Council Seat 1 (Ricky Fernandez, James Richie Hawkins and Mary Ann Mixon) and Seat 3 (incumbent Richard Ramirez and Rene Gomez).

How to Vote

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Vote at your assigned precinct.
Early voting: Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, according to the Town Clerk.
Vote-by-mail: The deadline to request a mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Possible runoff: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026.

Check your registration, precinct and sample ballot through the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.

Community Leadership Alliance is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. This profile is based on public records, candidate statements and news coverage, including the South Dade News Leader. Candidates who wish to submit corrections may contact us through our Contact page.