Mayor-Elect Bruce Pickett
Bruce Pickett was unanimously confirmed at the August 14th Special Town Commission meeting as a qualified candidate for mayor of the Town of Melbourne Beach. No other candidates applied. Mr. Pickett will take office in November.
Since there were no other candidates, there will be no need for an election this year. Mr Pickett will be sworn in on November 18, 2026.
Truth and Accuracy Matter is thrilled to see Mr Pickett stepping into this position. He is a man of integrity, good intentions and a true willingness to serve the best interest of the Town. We can look forward to the work of the Town getting done with cooperation and respect. It will be the breath of fresh air that the commissioners, residents and staff have been needing for almost three years. The Town has suffered a lot during the reign of our current mayor, but Bruce Pickett plans to leave the past behind and focus on the FUTURE.
Mr. Pickett comes with a strong history of service and business acumen. His experience encompasses a combination of knowledge, skills, abilities and understanding that enables him to comprehend the structure and operations of an organization. Before moving to Florida, Mr Pickett was deeply connected to his community in North Carolina. He owned and operated a successful trucking company. Additionally, he was appointed to an executive management position as the State Command Chief Master Sergeant of the NC Air National Guard. His ability to lead was further demonstrated by his position with the Charlotte Fire Department as head of heavy rescue teams. After moving here in 2024, he and his wife Jan immediately got involved with our community. They both joined the Melbourne Beach Volunteer Fire Department and currently serve as volunteer firefighters. Bruce’s trustworthiness was further applied to being hired as an independent contractor for the fire department, carrying out special operations such as fire truck deployment and delivery. There is no doubt that Bruce will apply many of these same abilities and attributes to the Honorable position of Mayor.
The Town Attorney reviewed Mr. Pickett’s involvement with the MBVFD and found no conflict of interest as cited in past reviews of a particular Melbourne Beach mayor in 1979 that was also a MBVFD volunteer firefighter. To be sure that no ethics violation might present a problem, a detailed review of Mr. Pickett will be sent for review by the Florida Ethics Committee to clear him without question or advise him as to what steps may need to be taken to be compliant. The Town Attorney as well as the Town Commission are cautiously optimistic that Mr. Pickett may remain a volunteer firefighter and independent contractor with the MBVFD during his tenure as Mayor of the Town of Melbourne Beach.
Mr Pickett spoke for a few minutes at the August 14th meeting. He invited all residents to get to know him better and share their concerns and hopes for the future of the Town of Melbourne Beach. He welcomes any and all questions and comments either through planned meet and greets, email communication or one-on-one conversations. CLICK HERE to see more.
Mr Pickett looks forward to working with Town Manager Marie Smith as well the Town Commissioners to serve the residents of the Town of Melbourne Beach! We look forward to having him at the helm!