Miami Beach Mayor Won't Run for Another Term

MIAMI BEACH — Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine used his annual state of the city speech on Thursday to say that he will not seek a third, two-year term.

Speaking in a 20-minute recorded broadcast, Levine did not rule out a run for governor after his term is up and hinted strongly at one.

"These years have been the greatest of my life, personally and professionally," said Levine, who first ran for office four years ago. "Today, as I enter the final year of my second term, I want you to know it will also be my last."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is precluded from running for a third term.

"As for me, I intend to explore new avenues for the future, to learn how I can best serve both our community and our state, support those willing to protect our lands, our coastline and our environment against interests whose actions imperil them all," Levine pledged.

He added that he wants to "give our children a chance to compete in schools devoted to excellence and teachers committed to delivering it, to giving working Floridians a fair wage, to make Florida a leader in a 21st century world economy based on innovation, investment and daring. And to give voice to those who have been silenced or left behind."

Levine lauded the city's response to the Zika threat in 2016 and proclaimed Miami Beach Zika free as he also praised the city's response to the threat of climate change. He failed to mention at all the missing $3.6 million in taxpayer funds that had apparently been siphoned out of an online account at SunTrust Bank over a six-month period before it was discovered last month. City officials have said the matter is under investigation by the FBI.

While the mayor stopped short of announcing his candidacy, his state of the city address had the look of a campaign video, including background music.

He mentioned in his speech that he launched Onboard Media, a startup that would grow into a multi-million company from a studio apartment above the News Café on Ocean Drive with only $500 in capital back in 1990.

Designed as a port-marketing program for the cruise industry, the company grew into a $400 million concern, which he sold to Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy in 2000, creating the largest cruise industry concessionaire/partner in the world. That company is still headquartered in Miami Beach.

Levine now serves as CEO of Royal Media Partners, an exclusive partner of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which handles the creation of all media for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises in the Caribbean and Alaska.

The mayor said he will continue to work to find ways to improve the city for the remainder of his final term.

"Almost every major objective I've envisioned for our city is either in motion, planned or been accomplished," he said. "As an entrepreneur who likes to get things done, I believe in the power of fresh ideas and fresh leadership and change. Evolution are both healthy and necessary."

Photo courtesy city of Miami Beach.