Drama on the dais: Political theater in high gear as Fort Lauderdale nears election season

What might have been a routine Fort Lauderdale commission meeting erupted into a full-blown drama described by one observer as reminiscent of a Bravo TV reality show.

With elections coming up in November 2024, bad blood is already brewing on the dais. All five seats are up, setting the stage for even more political theater as Election Day draws closer. This time, the controversy centered on a board appointment, something commissioners do all the time without a fiery debate. That was not the case this week, however.

Commissioner Warren Sturman went into battle mode Tuesday night when he heard Mayor Dean Trantalis was nominating Sturman’s former political rival Jacquelyn “Jackie” Scott to the city’s charter revision board.

Sturman grilled Trantalis, noting that Scott has taken on the role of treasurer in the mayor’s reelection campaign.

In the end, Scott was appointed to the board, but not without a bit of theatrics.

“Commissioner Sturman raised his objection to Jackie Scott’s appointment and pretended it was based on her political affiliation to my campaign,” Trantalis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The commission saw right through it. It had nothing to do with politics. It had everything to do with personality. I think it’s a cardinal sin to deny a commissioner the right to appoint someone.”

Sturman told the Sun Sentinel he was blindsided when he found out the mayor wanted to appoint Scott to the charter revision board.

When asked whether he plans to object to any of his former political opponents being appointed to a city board, Sturman had this response: “I’m not going to answer that.”

Scott, who joined a crowded race last year for the District 4 commission seat ultimately won by Sturman, replaces the mayor’s previous appointee, Ben Sorensen. Sorensen announced this week that he’s running for his former commission seat in next year’s race and was resigning from the charter review board as required, triggering the mayor’s new appointment.

Sturman’s argument that anyone serving as a campaign treasurer — primarily a behind-the-scenes role — should not serve on a city board prompted pointed questions from Commissioner Steve Glassman.

“You want to get rid of everyone on the charter revision board who’s involved in political campaigns?” Glassman asked Sturman.

“No, no,” came Sturman’s reply.

“Why not?” Glassman asked.

“Steve, I do not have to answer to you,” Sturman answered. “That’s just my opinion, end of story.”

But for people keeping a close eye on Fort Lauderdale politics, it’s likely just the beginning — especially with city elections only a year away.

All five seats are open.

And Sturman, who represents District 4, has already drawn two challengers: Sorensen, who stepped down in the middle of his term last year to run for Congress; and Ted Inserra, one of seven candidates who ran for the District 4 seat last year.

Scott, who was one of those seven candidates, told the Sun Sentinel she has no plans to run again in 2024.

‘A dangerous path’

On Tuesday, Sturman argued that Scott should be prohibited from serving on a board because she’s serving as the mayor’s campaign treasurer.

What Sturman never mentioned, but Glassman made sure to bring up, is the fact that lobbyist Judy Stern, a Sturman ally, is chair of the charter revision board. Glassman did not mention her by name, but referred directly to her role on the board.

Stern, a longtime lobbyist who helps run political campaigns, was the campaign adviser for Commissioner John Herbst, who won election last year.

Stern normally attends Fort Lauderdale commission meetings but was not there Tuesday night.

Glassman later described Sturman’s argument that the mayor was making a political appointment to the board as hypocritical.

“That’s a dangerous path we’re heading down to start objecting to each other’s nominations,” Glassman said. “Every appointment is a political appointment. When we get into office, who do we appoint? We appoint qualified people and they might have also helped in a campaign.”

Scott’s appointment narrowly won approval.

The vote was 3-2, with “no” votes cast by Sturman and Vice Mayor Pamela Beasley-Pittman.

‘Bring some popcorn’

Inserra, who was watching in amusement from the audience, said he was perplexed by Sturman’s argument.

“Sturman was trying to say Jackie Scott shouldn’t be able to serve because she’s the mayor’s campaign treasurer, which is a stretch to me,” Inserra said. “He was yelling, ‘I don’t have to answer your questions.’ It is entertaining. Bring some popcorn. It’s like watching some crazy reality show on Bravo.”

Normally, the commission appoints board members without much ado.

But this time, Sturman quizzed the mayor on why he was appointing Scott to the charter review board.

“Why are you adding one to charter review?” Sturman asked.

Trantalis explained that the person he’d appointed had resigned.

“Now why did that person resign?” Sturman asked.

“Because he’s running for City Commission,” the mayor said.

Sturman then launched into his objection.

“Your appointment … is the treasurer of somebody else’s political campaign,” he said. “I’m going to object to that for the same reason why (Sorensen) resigned. I think it’s inappropriate to have anybody involved in a campaign be on the charter review. For the exact same reason why it’s inappropriate for a candidate to be on the charter review. I think it’s highly inappropriate.”

Glassman snapped back: “But it’s OK for a registered lobbyist to chair it and constantly bash the commission and the city manager. That’s OK. You don’t have an issue with that.”

Not backing down

Undeterred, Sturman requested the commission remove Scott’s appointment from the others that were up for approval.

The mayor asked why.

“It’s highly inappropriate,” Sturman said. “It’s political.”

Sturman noted that campaign forms submitted to the city clerk include two names, that of the candidate and his or her treasurer.

The mayor asked Sturman whether a political campaign consultant hired by a candidate should be denied the right to sit on a board.

“Not necessarily,” Sturman said. “I think you have to draw the line somewhere.”

“Oh,” the mayor said. “You just don’t like Jackie Scott.”

“Exactly,” Glassman said.

Sturman objected, saying, “Mayor, I take offense at that remark.”

“Well I take offense at what you’re trying to do,” the mayor said. “I have an appointment. There are appointments you’ve made and I’ve never protested them. It’s your prerogative to appoint who you want.”

Glassman reminded Sturman that the commission is required to follow the city charter.

“Your rationale has nothing to do with our charter,” Glassman said. “There is nothing in our charter which prevents anyone from serving on a board or committee just because they’re involved in a campaign.”

Glassman opposed removing Scott’s appointment from the agenda item.

“We have never ever denied any of our appointees to a board or committee or task force,” he said. “You want to head down this path, go right ahead. But to me, this is just not the way to go. We have all respected each other’s ability to appoint people to the boards, committees, task forces. This is highly irregular.”

The commission voted on all board appointments but Scott’s.

Glassman then introduced a new resolution appointing Scott to the charter revision board.

Herbst says he had a very good reason for voting yes — to avoid petty tit-for-tat bickering over every single board nomination going forward.

“I didn’t vote for her because I like her or dislike her,” Herbst said of Scott’s appointment. “I voted for her because I think the process is important. I think it’s important that the commission respect the choices of individual commissioners. I don’t want to introduce something that’s ridiculously petty into the conversation: ‘I’m going to oppose all of your nominees because I don’t like you or your appointee.’ It’s going to bring our entire nominee process to a grinding halt.”

Scott said she wasn’t surprised by all the hullabaloo over her appointment, but took it in stride.

“I want to focus on the charter, not on any of the politics,” she said.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan