List of mayors and city managers of Miami Beach, Florida

Miami Beach, Florida operates under a council-manager system (weak mayor), with both an office of mayor and city manager.

Office of Mayor

Mayor of the City of Miami Beach
Seal of the City of Miami Beach
Incumbent Steven Meiner since November 28, 2023
Term length	Two years
Inaugural holder	John Newton Lummus, Sr.
Formation	1915
Salary	$10,000 (as of 2025)
Website	Mayor's official website

The mayor of Miami Beach is the nonpartisan chief executive of the municipal government of Miami Beach, Florida, and the presiding member of its seven-member City Commission. Modern-day mayors are elected to two-year terms and are term-limited to no more than 3 terms, which can be consecutive or non-consecutive. The mayor and other members of the City Commission appoint a city manager to administer the day-to-day affairs and operations of City Hall and its various departments. City Hall is located at 1700 Convention Center Drive; the mayor's office is located on the fourth floor.

Three father-son combinations have held the office: the John Lummuses (Jr. and Sr.), the Dermers (Jay and David), and the Gelbers (Seymour and Dan). One woman has served as mayor (Matti Bower). She is also, thus far, the only Hispanic person to serve.

Six mayors (D. Lee Powell, Alex Daoud, Seymour Gelber, David Dermer, Matti Bower, and Dan Gelber) served 3 terms while Louis Snedigar is the only one elected to 4.

Snedigar was the longest-serving mayor, with a non-consecutive total of eight years and 8 months in office. Acting mayor Stanley Arkin was the briefest, filling in for three months in 1991 following Daoud's removal from office.

As of November 2025, there are six living former mayors: Norman Ciment, Neisen Kasdin, David Dermer, Matti Bower, Philip Levine, and Dan Gelber.

The current mayor is Steven Meiner, who was elected on November 21, 2023, and assumed office on November 28, 2023. He was reelected to a second term on November 4, 2025.

As of 2025, the mayor is paid an annual salary of $10,000 and also receives taxable fringe benefits of $37,800.

List of mayors (1915–present)

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office	Terms	Approximate length of service	Notes
1		John Newton Lummus Sr. 1871–1961	March 26, 1915 – October 28, 1918	2	3 years, 7 months	Father of 5th mayor, J. N. Lummus, Jr.
2		Thomas Jessup Pancoast 1865–1941	October 28, 1918 – October 25, 1920	1	2 years
3		Thomas E. James 1872–1936	October 25, 1920 – October 23, 1922	1	2 years
4		Louis Fielding "Red" Snedigar 1890–1951	October 23, 1922 – December 21, 1926	1st and 2nd of 4 terms	4 years, 2 months	Longest-serving mayor (8 years, 8 months over 4 terms)
5		John Newton Lummus Jr. 1899–1983	December 21, 1926 – December 18, 1928	1	2 years	Son of 1st mayor, J. N. Lummus, Sr.
6		Louis Fielding "Red" Snedigar 1890–1951	December 18, 1928 – December 16, 1930	3rd of 4 terms	2 years
7		Val C. Cleary 1882–1966	December 16, 1930 – December 20, 1932	1st of 2 terms	2 years
8		Arthur Frank Katzentine 1902–1960	December 20, 1932 – December 18, 1934	1	2 years
9		Louis Fielding "Red" Snedigar 1890–1951	December 18, 1934 – June 1, 1937	4th of 4 terms	2 years, 61⁄2 months
10		John Hale Levi 1875–1948	June 1, 1937 – June 3, 1941	1st and 2nd of 3 terms	4 years
11		Val C. Cleary 1882–1966	June 3, 1941 – June 1, 1943	2nd of 2 terms	2 years
12		Mitchell Wolfson 1900–1983	June 1, 1943 – June 5, 1944	1	1 year
13		John Hale Levi 1875–1948	June 5, 1944 – June 5, 1945	3rd of 3 terms	1 year
14		Herbert A. Frink 1903–1962	June 5, 1945 – June 3, 1947	1	2 years
15		Marcie Liberman 1896–1966	June 3, 1947 – June 7, 1949	1	2 years
16		Harold Turk 1915?–1988	June 7, 1949 – June 5, 1951	1	2 years
17		D. Lee Powell 1908–1983	June 5, 1951 – June 2, 1953	1st of 3 terms	2 years
18		Harold Shapiro 1906?–1981	June 2, 1953 – June 7, 1955	1	2 years	Born in Russia, emigrated to U.S. at age 4
19		D. Lee Powell 1908–1983	June 7, 1955 – June 4, 1957	2nd of 3 terms	2 years
20		Kenneth Oka 1916–1987	June 4, 1957 – June 2, 1959	1st of 2 terms	2 years
21		D. Lee Powell 1908–1983	June 2, 1959 – June 6, 1961	3rd of 3 terms	2 years
22		Kenneth Oka 1916–1987	June 6, 1961 – June 4, 1963	2nd of 2 terms	2 years
23		Melvin J. Richard 1911?–2001	June 4, 1963 – June 1, 1965	1	2 years
24		Elliott Roosevelt 1910–1990	June 1, 1965 – June 6, 1967	1	2 years	Son of Franklin D. Roosevelt
25		Jay Dermer 1929–1984	June 6, 1967 – November 2, 1971	2	4 years, 5 months	Father of 35th mayor, David Dermer
26		Chuck Hall 1918?–1974	November 2, 1971 – August 10, 1974 (died in office)	2	2 years, 9 months	Previously served as the first mayor of Miami-Dade County, 1964–1970
Acting		Harold Rosen 1925–2018	August 10, 1974 – November 4, 1975		1 year, 3 months	Appointed to fill office upon Chuck Hall's death; later elected in his own right
27			November 4, 1975 – November 1, 1977	1	2 years
28		Leonard Haber 1933–2015	November 1, 1977 – November 6, 1979	1	2 years
29		Murray Selbert Meyerson 1931?–2017	November 6, 1979 – November 3, 1981	1	2 years
30		Norman Ciment 1936–	November 3, 1981 – November 1, 1983	1	2 years
31		Malcolm Hubert Fromberg 1935–2016	November 1, 1983 – November 5, 1985	1	2 years
32		Alex Daoud 1943–2025	November 5, 1985 – October 31, 1991 (suspended from office)	3	6 years	First mayor to serve 3 consecutive terms Suspended by Gov. Lawton Chiles following federal indictment
Acting		Stanley Arkin 1932–2015	October 31, 1991 – November 20, 1991		3 weeks	Vice mayor at time of Alex Daoud's suspension
33		Seymour Gelber 1919–2019	November 20, 1991 – November 4, 1997	3	6 years	Father of 38th mayor, Dan Gelber
34		Neisen Kasdin 1954–	November 4, 1997 – November 13, 2001	2	4 years
35		David Dermer 1963–	November 13, 2001 – November 21, 2007	3	6 years	Son of 25th mayor, Jay Dermer
36		Matti Herrera Bower 1939–	November 21, 2007 – November 25, 2013	3	6 years	First woman and Hispanic person to serve as mayor
37		Philip Levine 1962–	November 25, 2013 – November 13, 2017	2	4 years
38		Dan Gelber 1960–	November 13, 2017 – November 28, 2023	3	6 years	Son of 33rd mayor, Seymour Gelber
39		Steven Meiner 1971–	November 28, 2023 – Incumbent	2

Office of City Manager

In Miami Beach, city manager is responsible for administering governmental operations. An appointed city manager is responsible for administration of the city.

As of 2025, the city manager is paid an annual salary of $375,000.

List of city managers

See also

• Miami Beach
• Miami Dade County

References

External links

• City of Miami Beach
• Political Graveyard: Mayors of Miami Beach, Florida