It didn’t take long for Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason to answer 
Ladra’s question of why someone so disinterested in the city and the concerns of its residents would run for a third term as mayor.
And, in fact, his response proves my point: He’s running because nobody else did.
Or, rather, because someone else didn’t: Termed-out Commissioner William “Billy” Kerdyk, who was allegedly supposed to run for mayor and give Cason an endorsement for his own commission seat in a switcheroo that has been rumored for months, told the Miami Herald that he was stepping down and taking a break.
Las malas lenguas say that Kerdyk, who has had an easy ride for 20 years, doesn’t want to have to campaign. He just thought it would be handed to him, because he is the heir.
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“I fully intended to come here today and endorse someone else,” the mayor announced last month, as if that is something worth voting for. But Kerdyk told him “he was going to step down and retire,” Cason said. “So I had to do a lot of thinking in the last couple of days and have decided to run for mayor.
“I looked around and I didn’t see that anybody else had stepped 
up to the plate that I thought was good for the city of Coral Gables,” Cason said, and, somehow, I don’t think Ralph Cabrera, Ladra’s choice, is hurt. It’s not like there’s a lot of love lost here.
“So even though I had said four years ago that my intention was to stay four years it really was my intention, I think that to keep our city moving in the right direction, to continue this great commission that we have which is collegial, which respects each other…we all have our strengths. we all have our areas of focus. I think we have a wonderful commission.”
Then he said he looked forward to continue to work with Commissioner Frank Quesada, whose lukewarm introduction could have been more inspired. He did not mention the other commissioners, Pat Keon and Vince Lago, who were not in attendance.
Read related story: Coral Gables’ Jim Cason will run again after all — but why?
So, basically, Cason feels forced to run because Kerdyk and Quesada would not. He feels painted into a corner. Is that the kind of leader Coral Gables needs? Someone who is there by default? It’s a hard job but somebody has to do it?
Is that what former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli wants?
Valdes-Fauli, who is rumored to be eyeing a commission run, was among those who attended Cason’s press conference to announce his candidacy at the Coral Gables Country Club and was attended by a good 60 people or so. Many of them
are old Gables. Really old Gables.
Cason also had a few other former electeds turn up for him. former Commissioners Dorothy Thomson and Wayne “Chip” Withers . But wannabe electeds who ran and lost, Tom Korge — who once ran against Cason and missed an opportunity, if he ever had one, this year — and Mary Young, were there.
Kerdyk was said to be out of town but likely wouldn’t have shown his face anyway. Cason wouldn’t want this to become a story about why Kerdyk isn’t running, which is really what it was. What it is.
Because that is apparently the only reason Cason has chosen to run for a third term he said he would not seek.
Now Coral Gables voters have to decide if that’s the kind of mayor they want.
Coral Gables: Jim Cason runs again ’cause nobody else will added by Ladra on
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