Commissioner Oliver Gilbert is attempting to cancel a $165,000-a-year county contract with several private-sector lobbyists including longtime friend and ally—Ron Book.
Book, a veteran lobbyist, needs a majority vote to secure his contract with the county to continue supporting legislation in Tallahassee.
As the Miami Herald reports, Book and Gilbert have had a successful past together as powerhouse political giants. Gilbert, former Mayor of Miami Gardens, and Book, who represents the Miami Dolphins, “joined forces before the 2020 Super Bowl to help win state funding for stadium walkways that carry their names” including branded pedestrian tunnels and bridges. The two have also attended major life events for each other, cementing a political and personal friendship.
At the heart of their split is a decades old water dispute we covered earlier this year. Commissioner Gilbert and other leaders within Miami Gardens have been attempting to prevent North Miami Beach from adding fees to customers outside of their city. Although legislation passed at a city level, Governor Ron Desantis vetoed the legislation.
Gilbert places blame on Book for the veto according to the Miami Herald. Book maintains that “he wasn’t involved” adding that he “told North Miami Beach that his work for the county presented a conflict after the Miami-Dade County Commission backed Gilbert’s position on the water-bill dispute.”
The vote regarding the contract termination was originally slated to occur this month. During the Commissioners meeting on July 16th, Commissioner Gilbert agreed to postpone the vote on his proposal.
Now, residents can expect an update on September 3rd.
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