Community & Government News:
In order to better manage and improve our Neighborhood , its unique quality of life and property value , one needs to grasp the bigger picture and have a better understanding of the impact of our local Government and other bodies or Community groups on our daily life and future : this is why the Leadership of this small Civic Association keeps constantly up with our legislative and regulatory environment, always trying to establish and nurture positive relationships and communications with other Community leaders, our elected representatives and officials so that we can hold them accountable and secure our fair share of attention and solutions to the critical challenges that our own Residential area faces year after year as our surrounding Urban environment evolves around us...
Born and raised in New York City, John holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy (Baruch College ) and a MBA from the University of North Florida. He first worked in the private sector, investment banking, Big 4 public accounting, the insurance industry, stockbroker, and entrepreneur.
In the public sector, he worked as the Finance Director for both the City of Neptune Beach and several City of Jacksonville agencies. In 2006 , John spearheaded the establishment of the City Auditor’s Office for Fort Lauderdale. and went onto working in that position for 16 years. Through three City Commissions, four City Managers and three City Attorneys, John served as the steady guiding hand overseeing the integrity of the city’s financial, budgeting and procurement activities.
In 2022 , John successfully ran for City Commissioner in District 1 and now uses his background and experience to impact Policy change from within on citywide issues and more specifically for his District .
It is an honor to represent you on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission as your District 1 Commissioner. In December, the new commission was sworn in and we are already hard at work addressing your issues, as we plan for the future of our City. I had the privilege of meeting many of our neighbors during the campaign and hope to meet many more in the months ahead.
For those of you not familiar with my background, I was your City Auditor for the past 16 years. That experience has helped me hit the ground running as I am already deeply familiar with the projects and issues the City is dealing with. That includes projects like the proposed replacement for our aging water treatment plant at Fiveash, completion of the community park at Lockhart, construction of the new Police Department Headquarters on Broward Blvd and a potential new City Hall. We are also working collaboratively to conclude collective bargaining contracts with our police and fire unions. These are just a few of the challenges that city officials will be addressing in the near future and you can be assured that I will be focused on making sure that the City delivers high quality services and facilities to meets the needs of our residents while keeping a close eye on our budget.
One final piece of good news for the City is that the $1.7 trillion federal funding package includes $55 million for the construction of a new Federal Courthouse. In 2018, Congress approved funding for the construction of the courthouse; however, due to the rise in costs, there was a $55 million deficit after bids were received. In true bipartisan fashion, both Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Senator Marco Rubio convinced their respective Chambers of the importance of this new building. Earlier this year, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) approved the design concept for the courthouse, which will be located on 3.5 acres on the Tarpon River. The new facility, scheduled for completion in 2026, is expected to be the catalyst for economic and cultural development and will ensure that Fort Lauderdale remains the legal center for Broward County. I was first appointed to the Federal Court Facilities Task Force by former Mayor Jack Seiler in 2012 and after many years of hard work by the Task Force, I’m excited that we are close to achieving this important goal.
Some other priority projects and issues I am currently focused on :
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the Water treatment plant replacement solutions
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The Tunnels projects
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new Urban Development projects across the City
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Homelessness and Safety
For more , sign-up for Email Updates/Newsletters that include additional links to important city information, upcoming events, photos, commission agendas and meeting reminders for district meetings.
To receive emails or to schedule an appointment, please contact District 1 Assistant Melissa Whiddon, MWhiddon@fortlauderdale.gov or 954-828-5033.
Comm. Herbst appearance at
our Association's latest Annual meeting (summary):
from the City Commission:
The mission of the Fort Lauderdale City Commission is to represent the public interest, promote quick and courteous response to residents' problems, provide leadership and direction for the City's future, and assure the present and future fiscal integrity of the municipal government.
The City of Fort Lauderdale has a Commission-Manager form of government. Under this form of government, the elected City Commission sets policies for the operation of the City. The City Commission consists of five members: the mayor and four district commission members. The administrative responsibility of the City rests with the City Manager, who is appointed by the City Commission.
The four commissioners are elected by individual districts and the mayor is elected at-large. Each serves a four-year term. Elections occur every four years and each elected official is eligible to serve three consecutive four‐year terms.
The 2024 City of FotLauderdale Commission
from our Broward County Commissionner D4:
Lamar Fisher
The County Commission is comprised of nine members elected by district in partisan elections. Each Commissioner must be a resident of the district for which he or she seeks election. On the third Tuesday of each November, the Commission elects a Mayor and Vice Mayor for one-year terms. The Mayor's functions include serving as presiding officer, and as the County's official representative. The Commission appoints the County Administrator, County Attorney and County Auditor. The Commission also appoints numerous advisory and regulatory boards.
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Rep. Chip LaMarca
from our State Rep. Chip LaMarca :
Chip LaMarca (Republican Party) is a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 100. He assumed office on November 8, 2022. His current term ends on November 5, 2024.
LaMarca ran for re-election to the Florida House of Representatives to represent District 100. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
A lifelong resident of Broward County and he is honored to serve the coastal communities in the Florida State House of Representatives. He has earned a reputation for being a citizens’ advocate and a respected voice for the taxpayers, veterans, first responders and pets in our community.
Chip is proud to tell his American story of hard work and success. After attending Boston University, Broward College and Florida Atlantic University, Chip came home to follow in the footsteps of his late father by helping to bring jobs to Broward County in the construction industry.
Chip opened LaMarca Construction in 2006, a firm that specializes in power generation. Chip and his wife of twenty-three years Eileen reside in Lighthouse Point with their rescue dog Gibby.
Beginning in 2002, Chip became active in public service by serving on many City of Lighthouse Point advisory boards. In 2005, Chip was elected to a seat on the Lighthouse Point City Commission after running a campaign based on integrity, public safety, and good governance. In 2010, after serving the people of Lighthouse Point for two terms, he ran a tough election campaign to unseat the Broward County Mayor. He was elected to serve the people of coastal Broward as a member of the Board of County Commissioners. In 2014 he was re-elected in a rematch with overwhelming support of the people.
A passionate servant of the people, LaMarca has worked tirelessly to bring jobs and economic development to Broward County through his position on the Board of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Adam Putnam appointed LaMarca to serve on the Florida State Fair Authority Board for two terms and Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater appointed him to serve as a director for the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, helping to ensure that every child in Florida has access to quality healthcare.
LaMarca has been honored to serve as the Chair of the Finance, Tax and Administration committee for the Florida Association of Counties for the past five years, helping to shape sound fiscal policy for Florida’s 67 counties. On a national level, LaMarca was selected to Chair the Finance, Pension and Intergovernmental Affairs committee for the National Association of Counties and serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He is also a proud member of Leadership Florida’s Class 32. Locally, he serves on the Broward County Fire Rescue Council and the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council and has spearheaded the campaign and is a leading spokesperson for the national non-profit organization, Thank You First Responder, an organization dedicated to creating awareness and appreciation for our nation’s first responders. Chip strives to make our community the best place to live, work, visit and raise a family.
