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Going through his personal controversy about his partner’s involvement in metropolis enterprise, Miami Metropolis Supervisor Artwork Noriega this week employed Doral’s recently fired city manager, a longtime administrator who misplaced her job amid allegations that her personal partner improperly benefited from metropolis sources.
Noriega made the rent as he faces his personal wave of scrutiny over the city’s furniture purchases with Pradere Manufacturing, an organization owned by his in-laws that employs his spouse.
Barbara “Barbie” Hernandez, who was fired as Doral metropolis supervisor in January, will start her new job as Miami’s assistant metropolis supervisor for operations on April 1. In her new function in Noriega’s administration, she will likely be paid an annual wage of $235,000, plus $800 in month-to-month automobile and cellphone allowances.
In a 3-2 vote on Jan. 31, Hernandez was dismissed after Doral Councilwoman Digna Cabral accused her of failing to “work collaboratively” with the entire council, utilizing town’s communications workplace to advertise her husband, Miami-Dade Faculty Board member Danny Espino, and serving drinks from a brewery co-founded by Espino at a city-sponsored occasion. Espino’s Faculty Board district contains Doral.
After a debate that included phrases of help from neighborhood members and the mayor, Hernandez was terminated with out trigger.
Hernandez informed the Miami Herald that Noriega and her direct supervisor, newly promoted Deputy Metropolis Supervisor Natasha Colebrook-Williams, didn’t ask her in regards to the Doral controversy or her husband.
“That dialog didn’t come up often because the Faculty Board doesn’t have something to do with town,” she mentioned.
Noriega didn’t reply to the Herald’s questions on his choice to rent Hernandez.
Hernandez denies any wrongdoing. On Thursday, she informed the Herald that she was fired from Doral over “politics,” and he or she offered a memorandum that detailed her response to particular allegations towards her. She mentioned she had good working relationships will all 5 Doral councilmembers.
Hernandez offered earlier examples of Doral social media channels selling occasions for the earlier district college board member, together with backpack giveaways. She mentioned parks staffers immediately contacted a number of native companies, together with the brewery, to take part within the occasion for free of charge to town. The brewery, Beat Tradition, was one in all two companies to reply town’s request, and he or she mentioned town has labored with different alcohol institutions to take part in different city-sponsored occasions.
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Days earlier than her dismissal, Hernandez sought an opinion from the Miami-Dade County Fee on Ethics and Public Belief. Govt Director Jose Arrojo responded with a letter advising Hernandez that she will be concerned in issues that broadly concerned the college system, however to keep away from conflicts sooner or later, she shouldn’t be immediately concerned in issues regarding her husband’s function as a Faculty Board member. Arrojo didn’t assessment any of Hernandez’s previous selections or actions, consistent with the company’s guidelines.
Hernandez’s protection was not sufficient to fend off her firing. Weeks later, the Doral Metropolis Council expelled Espino from an workplace he maintained in Metropolis Corridor.
A former parks director for Miami, Hernandez returns to a Metropolis Corridor steeped in scandal. Mayor Francis Suarez is below multiple investigations over his jobs exterior of Metropolis Corridor. Commissioner Joe Carollo faces a $63.5 million civil judgment that could cost him his home after a federal jury discovered he weaponized metropolis sources to pursue a political vendetta. Former Miami Metropolis Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla faces criminal bribery and money laundering charges.
And there are questions going through the one that employed Hernandez.
Issues over a battle of curiosity have continued for Noriega since January, when Herald information accomplice WLRN reported that town had contracts worth over $440,000 with Pradere. Noriega has vehemently denied any impropriety and pledged to deal with the considerations — although his preliminary response solely sparked extra questions.
On Monday, he launched a report and spreadsheets with inaccurate data on town’s spending on Pradere furnishings. He was pressured to walk back the data on Tuesday, and he canceled a deliberate interview with the Herald to debate the difficulty. He has declined to comment any further on the matter.
Hernandez beforehand served as Doral’s parks and recreation director from 2011 to 2019 earlier than leaving to work for Miami Seaside’s parks division. She led town of Miami’s parks division from March 2021 to December 2022, when she grew to become Doral’s metropolis supervisor.
On Thursday, she mentioned that regardless of the unfavourable headlines, public servants are doing commendable work in Miami.
“I believe there are a whole lot of good issues occurring within the metropolis,” she mentioned, “and I simply don’t assume they’re being showcased.”
Different appointments
Hernandez’s rent was one in all a number of personnel strikes introduced by Noriega on Wednesday.
He named Colebrook-Williams as his deputy metropolis supervisor after the departure of Nzeribe “Zerry” Ihekwaba, who will likely be put in as Homestead’s subsequent metropolis supervisor on Thursday.
Asael “Ace” Marrero, town’s constructing director, has been promoted to assistant metropolis supervisor of infrastructure.
Noriega additionally named a brand new hearth chief. Robert Hevia, town’s former emergency supervisor who helped lead the division’s COVID-19 response, will lead the hearth division.
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