New Mayor Of Miami Gives Out Cell Number

MIAMI, FL — Taking his pledge of openness to heart, Francis X. Suarez was sworn in as the 33rd mayor of Miami on Wednesday and promptly gave out his cell phone number to the people of the Magic City. The late afternoon ceremony took place at Dinner Key Marina. Suarez stood next to wife Gloria M. Fonts as the oath of office was administered by former University of Florida classmate Judge Robert J. Luck.

The mayor read his cell number aloud in English then Spanish: 305-992-3342.

"I do this because I believe that our residents should always have a direct line of communication with me," he said.

He promised to address the city's traffic gridlock, chronic homelessness, lack of affordable housing and to make the city more resilient from rising sea levels and other threats while working to attract technology jobs.

The son of former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez, one of the first acts of the new mayor was to recognize his father's service.

"This is the first time in its 121-year history where a father and son have been mayor of the city of Miami," he said.

Suarez said he plans to hold open office hours, so that all city employees can share their ideas with him and announced plans to visit a different Miami neighborhood at least one time each month.

"The only way that we will be able to really know what is going on in our communities is by being in them," Suarez said.

At one point, the mayor interrupted his speech to allow attendees to seek shelter from a rain storm. The storm gave way to a rainbow behind Suarez and cheers from the audience.

Click here to watch a replay of the ceremony.

Suarez, the Miami commissioner who was endorsed by Mayor Tomas Regalado to succeed him, won an easy victory last week to ascend to the city's top post. Suarez captured nearly 86 percent of the vote. His next closest opponent in the four-way race was Williams Alfred Armbrister Sr. who received less than 6 percent of the vote.

Suarez had served as vice chair of the Miami‐Dade Transportation Planning Organization and is the immediate past president of the Miami‐Dade County League of Cities.

Born and raised in Miami, Suarez and his wife have one child, Andrew Xavier. They are expecting their first daughter.

Dinner Key Marina is located at 3400 Pan American Drive.

"The mayor of Miami will be accountable to all residents of our city," Suarez said, promising greater power to Miami residents.

Photo courtesy city of Miami