You never heard of Surfside’s mayor before the condo tragedy? Meet Charles Burkett
Charles Burkett is the mayor of Surfside, the oceanfront town now known across the world as the place where a condo tower collapsed.
You probably never heard of the mayor before the tragedy. But he has been one of the voices of authority at the scene, giving updates.
One of his notable public statements after the collapse: “This is a horrific tragedy. I think the United States, buildings just don’t fall down.”
Here are a few things to know about the mayor.
▪ Burkett, 60, was first elected for a two-year term as mayor of the town of about 5,800 residents in 2006. He was re-elected in 2008.
▪ He successfully ran for mayor again in 2020, defeating incumbent Daniel Dietch in November.
▪ Burkett runs a management and investment company he founded in the 1980s called the Burkett Companies.
In his biography on the company’s website, Burkett was among several buyers of investment properties in a then-struggling South Beach. The investments helped revive the Art Deco District.
“Charles joined a small group of pioneers willing to risk capital and limb in undertaking historic renovations pursuant to strict government guidelines. These humble beginnings resulted in what we have now come to know as the world renowned Art Deco District in fabulous South Beach,” the biography reads.
The Burkett Companies has since bought and renovated more than 20 properties in six states, according to its website. It owns and operates properties in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, in addition to ones in Central Florida, California, Colorado, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
