Ricardo De Melo Gomes for Mayor of Cutler Bay

Rooted in Cutler Bay

I have lived in Cutler Bay for over twenty-two years and raised my children here. My wife, Brook De Melo Gomes, is a devoted stepmother to my children, and together we have made this Town our home.

Public service runs through our family. Brook ran for Seat 2 in 2024 and currently serves on the Education Advisory Committee for the Town of Cutler Bay. Since 2024, we have also regularly attended Town Hall meetings together, not because it was required of us, but because we believe residents should know what their local government is doing and have a voice in it. Watching her commit to this community, and doing the same myself, is part of what convinced me it was time to step forward.

I studied architecture in Europe and am a licensed builder in Florida. For more than 40 years, I have also studied how successful towns grow, how infrastructure shapes quality of life, and why thoughtful planning matters. Good leadership means making sound decisions, planning ahead, following through, and bringing different groups together so their needs and ideas shape the outcome, not just one voice at the table.

Over the years, I have volunteered with local youth organizations, coaching soccer and supporting youth by connecting them to educational resources. I also coached soccer at the college level.

Sixteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and told I might have six months to live. I chose to fight, and I am still here. That experience taught me that time is precious and that showing up for the people and places you care about is not something you wait to be asked to do. It is something you choose.

I am running to be the kind of Mayor who listens first, plans wisely, and puts the best interests of our community at the heart of every decision. That means treating every resident's concern, unsafe structures at the park, broken sidewalks, and lack of maintenance of existing infrastructure, as seriously as they do. This town gave my family a place to grow, and I want to make sure our town provides families with safe, well cared for neighborhoods for the next generation.

Ricardo De Melo Gomes