PALM BAY, Fla. – Peter Filiberto, the former Palm Bay councilman who was ousted in 2023 after he was arrested, is back in city government.

At the end of Thursday’s city council meeting, Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffe announced that he had appointed Filiberto to the influential planning and zoning board.

Filiberto, who was elected to City Council seat 5 in 2022, was arrested in February of 2023.

Police stopped Filiberto for allegedly speeding and running stop signs on his motorcycle through a 55 and older community. They say he also had a suspended license.

When they took Filiberto to the police department and had him remove his shoes, police say they found 10 grams of cocaine in his socks.

He resigned from the city council a week later.

In March of 2023, Filiberto pleaded no contest to a count of felony cocaine possession and was sentenced to 24 months of supervised probation.

Planning and zoning boards review development plans and make recommendations to local governments. They can also make recommendations for how land is used in a municipality and what is allowed in a given area.

The planning and zoning board has at least one other seat open in Palm Bay. Applications are due by Wednesday, Feb. 12. Head to the City of Palm Bay website for more information.

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