Rene Froilan Gomez Jr. wants to slow development, expand transit and add police in Cutler Bay. He is challenging incumbent council member Richard M. Ramirez for Seat 3 on Nov. 3.
Gomez, a Cutler Bay resident since 2010 and a vice president of the Whigham Elementary PTA, laid out his platform in a candidate profile published by the South Dade News Leader on Sept. 4. He is the only challenger in the two-candidate race, according to the Town of Cutler Bay's election page.
Candidate calls for pushback on new development
Gomez named traffic, taxes and quality of life as the three issues he considers most pressing. On development, he said the town should resist new projects and hold developers accountable when building does happen.
"Right now, Cutler Bay should push back on any new development as much as possible," Gomez told the South Dade News Leader. "... If there is development, we need to make sure we're on the front lines keeping them accountable and protecting Cutler Bay's legacy."
Gomez wants grant funding to grow MetroConnect shuttle service
On transportation, Gomez said the town should pursue grant funding to expand MetroConnect, the on-demand shuttle service that launched in 2020. He said seniors and other residents support the program. "The data speaks for itself," Gomez told the South Dade News Leader.
County records back up the ridership trend: MetroConnect logged 55,047 boardings in fiscal year 2024, according to the Miami-Dade Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust five-year plan. The town's fixed-route Local Ride bus, Route 500, recorded 81,180 boardings in the same period. Cutler Bay received $2,601,386 in surtax funding from the county for transportation that year. MetroConnect operates townwide with three Chrysler Pacifica vehicles under a Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works contract.
Platform also touches policing and small-business taxes
On public safety, Gomez called for more law-enforcement officers in town, saying the town needs protection "from end to end."
For small businesses, Gomez said he would explore lowering taxes and favors what he called a free-market approach over additional regulations. He also said he wants to open town-event vendor contracts to more businesses rather than relying on the same group of vendors.
First-time candidate points to PTA role, grassroots approach
Gomez acknowledged he is a first-time candidate with limited government experience. He pointed to his two years as PTA vice president at Dr. Edward L. Whigham Elementary School as his main civic credential and described his campaign style as grassroots, relying on social media and visits to local businesses.
Seat pays nearly $11,000 a year; other races also on ballot
The Seat 3 position pays $10,939.56 a year, according to the town clerk's office. The qualifying period closed Aug. 6.
Cutler Bay's Nov. 3 ballot also includes a four-candidate mayoral race and a three-candidate contest for council Seat 1. Mayor Tim Meerbott and council member Robert "B.J." Duncan are both termed out. Ramirez has not yet published a candidate profile through the South Dade News Leader.
