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Commissioner’s Message

t 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
Iand 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
John Herbst Department Headquarters on Broward Boulevard and a potential new City Hall.
District 1 Commissioner 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
meet 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)
City Hall, 8th Floor
100 N Andrews Ave approved the design concept for the courthouse, which will be located on 3.5 acres
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 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.

For More Information:
• Sign-up for Email Updates/Newsletters to get 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.
Office Contacts
Melissa Whiddon • Follow Commissioner Herbst on Facebook @CommissionerJohnC.Herbst
District 1 Commission Assistant
mwhiddon@fortlauderdale.gov John Herbst
954.828.5033 District 1 Commissioner

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