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Miami Beach Commissioner Jerry Libbin has accepted a new job as president of the Beach’s Chamber of Commerce, Riptide has learned.
Libbin’s hiring has prompted a review from the Miami Dade County Ethics Commission to alleviate any conflicts connected to Chamber board members testifying to the commission on contract issues.
Chamber chairman Aaron Perry will officially announce Libbin’s hire at a meeting tomorrow afternoon.
Libbin tells Riptide that he’s already been cleared by a state ethics committee to hold the chamber presidency while he serves on the council. In fact, Libbin says, it’s not the first time a council member has served as chamber president — Bruce Singer did so in the late ’70s.
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The Miami-Dade Ethics panel is considering whether Libbin now must recuse himself whenever current Chamber board members testify to the commission, he says.
“I’ve always been a strong advocate of businesses in this community, and holding this job is going to allow me more opportunities to help local businesses,” Libbin says.
Libbin, an independent financial planner, was first elected to the Miami Beach City Commission in 2005.
