Robert O. Cox was mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 1988-1991. Before becoming mayor, Cox spent nearly two decades on the City Commission. Cox owns the ^*,a local marina.

Role in making Fort Lauderdale a "Marine Capital"

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Before being elected to the City Commission, Cox served on the city's Marine Advisory Board and is often credited for his role in promoting the city as a boating capital. As a member of the Board he encouraged the city to deepen many then-shallow canals, build marinas and advertise the city's boating-related amenities. Later, as a City Commissioner, Cox was instrumental in luring Whitbread Round the World Race (now known as the Volvo Ocean Race), a leading yacht race, to the city.

The End of Spring Break

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As a Commissioner and later as Mayor, Cox was a leader in the effort to discourage college students from spending spring break in the city.

Accusations of Racism and Other Controversies

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Cox declined to seek reelection as mayor following a controversy that erupted after he told a fourth-grade class at Dillard Elementary School that all they needed to become mayor was to be "free, white, and 21."^* Talk show host Arsenio Hall criticized Cox for these comments. Indeed, this was not the first time Cox made statements and took positions that were perceived by many to be racially insensitive. For example, Cox opposed renaming Southwest 31st Avenue Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He also opposed making King's birthday a city holiday. He once accused black people of vandalizing his warehouse. He argued against single-member voting districts when the federal government demanded them. Further, he suggested English be the city's official language.

However, Cox's record on race was less clear-cut than these comments and viewpoints suggest. Cox was a progressive on several race-related issues. It was Cox who, in 1972, proposed the city's open housing ordinance after the Broward County Commission failed to pass one. He did so in the face of strong opposition from influential white residents on the city's east side. Notably, former mayor and current congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr., a far less divisive figure than Cox in ensuing years, opposed this ordinance. Further, in 1970, Cox was the only commissioner to vote against a $43,000 armored tank the city bought follwing race riots. Cox argued it was meant to be turned on a tiny faction of the black community and contended that the money would have been better spent in community relations. Though Cox opposed the district elections that eventually made black businessman Carlton Moore a commissioner. Cox feared districts would divide the city and make commissioners responsive only to their constituents. However, when the measure passed, Cox encouraged Moore to run.

In 1981, while serving as a city commissioner, Cox attracted controversy when he suggested pouring Kerosene in trash cans to prevent the homeless from rummaging for food. Although he later said that he has meant to say bleach, as he did not want to kill anyone, "his comment captured for many the official attitude toward the scruffy souls whose presence marred the city's image".

References

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• "The Mouth that Roared: Bob Cox, Fort Lauderdale's Outspoken Mayor has Given People Plenty of Reasons to Both Love and Hate Him. Is He a Bigot or Just Too Honest for His Own Good?" Miami Herald, April 20, 1990
• "Hard lives commonplace for Broward's homeless population" Sun-Sentinel, January 22, 2005.

Living people | Fort Lauderdalians