The board's newest member at its first meeting, on the railing, where it stayed.Photo: City of Palmetto Bay
A brown pelican that has lived on the Pier 4 railing for at least six years was elected to the Palmetto Bay harbor board on Tuesday with 1,204 write-in votes, and the city clerk has confirmed she cannot find a rule that stops it taking the seat.
The pelican, which residents call Gus, received more votes than the three human candidates combined. The nearest human, a retired customs officer, received 611 and has conceded "to the bird, I suppose."
How it happened
The write-in campaign began on a neighborhood message board in August as a joke about the board's record on pier repairs. "Gus has been on that pier longer than anyone on the board has been on the board," the post read. "Gus has never voted to defer maintenance."
By election day the campaign had posters, a slogan ("Gus: Already There") and an endorsement from the Pier 4 bait shop. The city clerk said she had "watched it happen with a feeling of dread, and also something like hope."
"Our rules say a candidate must be a resident of the harbor district. Gus is, frankly, the most resident thing in it."
— City Clerk Rosa Idris
The ballot. The clerk's office says the drawings 'did not help, but did not hurt.'
The first meeting
Gus attended Thursday's board meeting, having been carried in on a towel by the bait shop's owner, who has been designated the pelican's "liaison." The bird sat on the railing at the back of the chamber for the full ninety minutes and left during the budget item, which the chair described as "the most honest response we've had to the budget."
Gus abstained on all votes. The clerk has recorded the abstentions, and has also recorded that the bird "took a fish from the public gallery, which is not prohibited."
What the board does now
The board chair said Gus would be "treated like any other member," with a nameplate, a parking space and a mailbox, "though we expect the mailbox to be the least used." Councilwoman Pia Serrano has proposed that the city "take the result as a comment" and fix the pier.
A reality star has since announced a run for the board's remaining open seat. Gus has not commented, though it was on the pier when the announcement was made and, witnesses say, "looked at the boat."