PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A Pembroke Pines commissioner was kicked out of a commission meeting after the mayor said he became too disruptive.
It was all about how a specific item of city business should be conducted, and a police officer was even called over to assist.
It happened on Wednesday night.
There was a lot of business on the table, but things got heated when newly elected Mayor Angelo Castillo disagreed with how a process played out to appoint a member of a board in District 2, which is represented by Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz.
Things escalated when the commissioner pressed on, and the mayor ordered police to have the commissioner removed.
It raised some legal questions, and the city attorney weighed in, leading to the commissioner eventually complying.
The mayor declined to go on camera, but in a written statement said:
“As mayor, the duty falls to me to maintain order in our commission meetings for both the public and our elected officials. When anyone in the chamber becomes disruptive and/or impedes the commission’s work, the chair must by law take action. It gave me no pleasure to have the commissioner removed from the chamber but, as video of the incident clearly demonstrates, after repeated attempts and warnings by me to get him to discontinue his disruptive behavior, I was left with no choice but to order his removal from the chamber to restore order and ensure the city commission could continue to conduct the people’s business.”
Local 10 News was told there are no hard feelings and no rivalry between the two, and both are committed to conducting city business together come next commission meeting.