Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina encourages Council member Filiberto to resign after felony drug arrest
Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina is calling on embattled City Council Member Peter Filiberto to resign in the wake of his Saturday arrest on cocaine possession and DUI charges.
"As public officials serving our city, it is incumbent upon us to reflect on how our actions affect those we serve. This situation has cast a shadow over the good work that our City Council and leadership team are accomplishing," Medina said in a Tuesday afternoon press release.
"It has become a distraction as we conduct our city business. As a city, we are striving every day to serve our citizens in a transparent and accountable manner, and I feel strongly that resignation would be in the best interest of our community," Medina said.
What's next?Council Member Filiberto's cocaine-DUI arrest raises questions for fellow Palm Bay council members
Original story:Palm Bay councilman charged with DUI, cocaine possession
Filiberto was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, after Palm Bay police pulled him over on his motorcycle and arrested him during a Saturday night traffic stop. At the police department's booking center, police found 10.6 grams of cocaine packed away in his shoe and sock, a probable cause affidavit said.
He also faces charges of reckless driving, DUI, no motorcycle endorsement on driver’s license, refusal to submit breath test, and driving with a suspended license.
The Palm Bay City Council is scheduled to next meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. Tuesday afternoon, City Council Member Kenny Johnson requested a council discussion about directing the city attorney to draft a letter asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend Filiberto.
Messages seeking comment were left for Filiberto after Medina's press release was issued. Messages were also left Tuesday with DeSantis' press office and Brevard Republican Executive Committee Chairman Rick Lacey, who was out of town. Medina and Filiberto are both Republicans.
No upcoming court dates had been scheduled in Filiberto's case as of Wednesday morning.
"Please know that I have not come to this decision lightly, and my prayers continue to go out to Pete and his family," Medina said in the press release. "I truly hope that he will get the help that he needs to overcome his personal challenges.
"Restoring and maintaining the public trust is critically important for our city. Part of restoring the public trust is doing the right thing. In this situation, I believe that voluntary resignation would be the right thing for Pete to do," he said.
Medina has also requested a discussion about "immediate drug testing for council members" during Thursday's City Council meeting.
Filiberto, 34, a federal contractor with the Department of Veteran Affairs, also serves on the Brevard County Planning and Zoning Board/Local Planning Agency.
Brevard County Commission Vice Chair Kristine Zonka has put an item on the Feb. 21 commission agenda to remove Filiberto from the board. He had been one of Zonka's nominees, and his current term began on Jan. 1, 2022.
Zonka, who represents District 5 in south Brevard, said, in light of Filiberto's arrest, "he was not a good representative for the District 5 office."
Zonka said she will nominate a replacement for Filiberto at a later date.
The Planning and Zoning Board serves as the recommending body for the County Commission in matters concerning comprehensive planning, zoning and land-development matters. Each commissioner nominates two members and one alternate to the board, and a representative of Brevard Public School also serves on the board.
Business Editor Dave Berman contributed to this report. Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay Mayor calls for Peter Filiberto to resign after DUI arrest
