Fort Pierce sets special meeting on James Taylor; special election may be in the works
Commissioners are to meet at 5:05 p.m. to "discuss the status of Commissioner District 2, Seat 2."
While the announcement mentions only a discussion, Commissioner Michael Broderick said he hopes his colleagues will do more than just that.
"I am hopeful, I am working very hard, to get the Governor's Office to remove him from office today," Broderick said July 25.
The City Commission cannot remove one of its own, but a commissioner can resign. The governor can suspend local elected officials for a variety of reasons, including for felony charges.
Taylor — who made his first appearance in court on the morning of July 25, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit — has not resigned, as far as Broderick is aware.
"I want a letter of resignation. I want it right now, on my desk, but if I don't get it, we're compelling the governor to take action here," Broderick said.
Broderick has been working the phone, directly with the Governor's Office and with other local, state and federal officials who may be able to encourage Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend Taylor quickly, before the special meeting.
"I'm working in conjunction with our state elected officials, and our national elected officials, to get this done. The citizens of the city of Fort Pierce own that commission seat, and they need to get it back," Broderick said.
The governor's communications office has not responded to requests for comment on Taylor's arrest.
If Taylor is removed from office by the time the meeting, Broderick said, commissioners can move past discussion and into planning for a special election to replace him.
"I'm hopeful that by Monday at five o'clock that the seat is vacated, and that the City Commission is going to plot a strategy to run a special election and get the seat filled as quickly as possible," Broderick said.
If there was less than six months until the next municipal general election for District 2, Seat 2, the City Commission could appoint a temporary replacement for Taylor. However, Taylor was elected in November 2024, leaving the next election more than three years away.
The city will have to hold a special election to fill the seat, whether Taylor resigns or is removed.
John Heaning, the opponent whom Taylor defeated in 2024 with nearly 62% of the vote, issued a statement on social media shortly after Taylor's arrest. While not announcing a run in the anticipated special election, Heaning did not rule it out.
"Currently, I remain undecided. I will give it thoughtful and serious consideration, and when the time is right, I'll decide based on what I believe is best for the future of Fort Pierce," Heaning said.
Heaning said he was "deeply disappointed and shocked" by Taylor's arrest, and called it "yet another troubling scandal for the city of Fort Pierce."
Taylor has yet to enter a plea for the 24 felony counts he faces. His bond, initially set at $250,000, was raised to $340,000 at his first appearance.
His July 24 arrest, which occurred during a traffic stop, came after more than a year of investigations, which started with the Evanston (Illinois) Police Department. Police there received a report from the mother of a 3-year-old girl on August 2024, and contacted the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office in May. The girl, now-14, is believed to have been 12 at the time Taylor began sending her messages via Snapchat, according to SLCSO investigators.
On July 24, SLCSO executed search warrants at his home and at a non-government office, and he was arrested shortly afterward.
More: What to know about City Commissioner James Taylor, his arrest, Fort Pierce city reaction
More: "Monster": Officials react to James Taylor arrest; one calls for suspension by governor
Taylor is the second high-ranking Fort Pierce official to be arrested in the past year. Longtime City Manager Nick Mimms was arrested Aug. 14, 2024, on charges of bid rigging and official misconduct related to a bid process. It ultimately was won by a nonprofit led by two city employees, one of whom was his niece. Mimms has pleaded not guilty.
Mimms was replaced by Richard Chess, who became city manager in April. Taylor cast the deciding vote to hire Chess. With commissioners locked 2-2 — between Chess and City Clerk Linda Cox — Taylor switched his vote from a third candidate to Chess.
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: James Taylor arrest latest: Fort Pierce to meet, ask for DeSantis help
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