Commissioner John Herbst, a certified public accountant who has brought a fiscally conservative voice to the dais since winning office in 2022, is resigning from the Fort Lauderdale City Commission two years into his four-year term.
His resignation will take effect Nov. 2.
Herbst notified the city clerk’s office by email Friday at 8 a.m.
“Please accept this email as formal notice of my resignation from my position as City Commissioner for District 1, City of Fort Lauderdale, effective 11:59 pm November 2, 2026,” Herbst wrote. “In addition, I am withdrawing my candidacy for re-election for my seat in 2028.”
Herbst could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
Before joining the commission, Herbst served 16 years as Fort Lauderdale’s city auditor.
That role came to an end when three of his commission bosses — Mayor Dean Trantalis, Commissioner Steve Glassman and Commissioner Ben Sorensen — fired him in a late-night meeting in February 2022.
That night, the mayor accused Herbst of overstepping his authority and conducting a “secret investigation” into allegations then-Police Chief Larry Scirotto was officiating college basketball games on city time. Herbst defended his right to investigate claims of fraud by any city employee without permission from the commission.
Within weeks, Herbst was running for office.
In November, he won by a landslide.
At the time, fans of Herbst predicted he’d be a force to be reckoned with, bringing a piercing scrutiny as a fiscal watchdog and years of institutional knowledge from his 16 years as the city auditor.
Critics objected to his sometimes blunt, no-nonsense style.
“You better have a tough skin if you’re going to get into government,” Herbst told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in an interview soon after he took office. “When people are saying I’m being forceful, no, I’m being direct.”
At the time, Herbst referred to a mantra he repeated often on the campaign trail: Experience matters.
“It makes me a formidable person up on the dais,” he said. “I can’t be bamboozled. I can’t be bullied. I’m going to address the issues in a civil manner, but I’m also going to be forceful in presenting my perspective. If there is one thing they should have figured out Tuesday night is I am not going to be cowed.”
On Friday, some were stunned by news of Herbst’s resignation — including the mayor.
“This definitely came from out of left field,” Trantalis told the Sun Sentinel. “From what I understand, this choice was based on personal reasons. Being in public office takes a lot away from your personal life.”
Herbst is not leaving office until November, the mayor noted.
Fort Lauderdale will hold a special election on Nov. 2 to replace Herbst and fill the District 1 seat.
“We have a solid working group on the commission,” Trantalis said. “The real question now is who will want to run to serve the balance of the term.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan