PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — A Broward County judge has temporarily blocked a special Pembroke Park Town Commission meeting that could have removed Mayor Geoffrey Jacobs from office, issuing an emergency injunction just one hour before the vote was scheduled Tuesday at 1 p.m.
The ruling provides a temporary reprieve for Jacobs as questions mount over his legal residency.
“The Town of Pembroke Park right now is prohibited from doing anything to try and remove Geoffrey Jacobs from the elected position of Mayor,” said Jacobs’ attorney, Michael Pizzi, following the ruling.
Pizzi criticized the timing of the vote, saying the commission attempted to hold a life-altering decision while Jacobs, a commercial pilot, was working in Alaska.
“If you are going to take away someone’s job as a mayor, give him due process. Don’t do the meeting on three days’ notice in the middle of the day when he is on another continent,” Pizzi said.
The push to remove Jacobs followed a Local 10 News investigation that found property records in St. Lucie County, more than 100 miles north of Pembroke Park. Jacobs and his wife own a $565,000 home in Fort Pierce, but pay no property taxes due to a Homestead Exemption and additional military residency exemptions.
The home was purchased with a VA-backed mortgage, which requires the buyer to certify it as their principal residence. When questioned about claiming a primary residence in Fort Pierce while serving as Mayor, Pizzi insisted there is no conflict.
“Mayor Jacobs is a lawful permanent resident of Pembroke Park. His wife is living in St. Lucie County,” Pizzi said. “With all due respect, if any of us want to buy a house in New York or a house in St. Lucie County, we are allowed to do it.”
Under the Pembroke Park Town Charter, a mayor must maintain legal residency within the town. Commissioners seeking Jacobs’ removal argue that evidence suggests he no longer meets this requirement.
“From what I can see, Mayor Jacobs moved out of town a year ago without anyone being informed of the fact,” said Commissioner William Hodgkins. “We will see what happens... we will let the courts decide.”
A formal hearing is expected in the coming weeks to determine whether Jacobs meets the residency requirements set forth in the Town Charter.
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