John Herbst, Norby Belz qualify for Fort Lauderdale Commission District 1 race

The race is on for the District 1 seat on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission as both incumbent Commissioner John Herbst and leadership coach Norby Belz have qualified for the contest.

Herbst, a former auditor for the city who won a seat on the five-member panel in 2022, the same year the city controversially fired him, hopes to continue representing a northern portion of the city through 2028.

Belz, a health policy and management professor-turned-motivational speaker, believes it’s time for a change. He launched a campaign to unseat Herbst in February.

After qualifying Friday, Belz said he was “humbled by the outpouring support from the community.”

He is a first-time candidate for public office.

“This campaign is about a commitment to serving the residents of Fort Lauderdale by creating a government that both responds to our needs of today while also laying future-ready plans for tomorrow,” Belz said in a statement. “I will be a fighter for our residents working to solve the challenges that impact our everyday lives.”

Herbst won his seat with 40% of the vote in a Special Election to determine who would serve out the remaining two years of then-Vice Mayor Heather Moratis, who announced in April 2022 that she was resigning early. He leaned into his 16 years of experience as a city auditor, accentuating his job performance during economic downturns including the COVID pandemic and Great Recession.

Belz’s campaign priorities include addressing homelessness, fostering new water-dependent industries that harness the community’s unique waterways, supporting parks and green spaces, encouraging responsible development while preserving community integrity, and building infrastructure to support long-term growth.

He has also vowed to collaborate with county, state and federal officials to tackle coastal flooding, escalating living costs, rising insurance rates and environmental protection, among other challenges.

Through May 31, Herbst raised more than $172,000 to defend his seat. He’s been something of a spendthrift, having only expended about $2,400 since New Year’s Day, city campaign finance records show.

Belz, who began fundraising Feb. 11, amassed $63,000 through the end of last month and spent $27,600. Most of it covered consulting costs.

The Fort Lauderdale election is on Nov. 5.

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Editor’s note: This report was updated to properly denote Belz’s professorial focus.