Once again, North Miami elected officials are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

After terminating Larry Spring in January 2020, indisputably the worst City Manager in its entire history, the City Council once again (for the third time) bypassed its then-Interim City Manager, Arthur “Duke” Sorey, to take his place.

Instead, they hired Theresa Therilus, who brought with her a long list of impressive credentials and the honor of being named one of Brickell Magazine’s 2017 Top 20 Professionals Under Forty.

Within one year of being hired, she was able to pull the City out of the deep financial abyss of a $14.7 million deficit created by her two incompetent predecessors.

In a Miami’s Community News editorial, City of North Miami Announces Stunning Financial Turnaround, it was pointed out [emphasis ours], “For the first time in SIX YEARS, the City of North Miami (NoMi) has reported a budget surplus, due in large part to City Manager, Theresa Therilus, who joined the City in 2020.”

Three years later Ms. Therilus resigned but managed to be retained for five months under a generous Consulting Agreement before taking off for greener pastures.

The North Miami City Council then did something truly remarkable — and responsible — for the first time in well over a decade when they hired its former CRA Director, Rasha Cameau, as its new City Manager.  Before the ink was dry on her three-year Employment Agreement, Ms. Cameau began to clean up the City by slashing its bloated budget, eliminating unnecessary departments, and purging its workforce of useless and overpaid Friends & Family employees.

Since no good deed goes unpunished, on April 9, 2024 three of the five elected officials voted to fire the most competent, honest, and ethical City Manager of North Miami since 2002 when Lee Feldman resigned.

According to Channel 10:

“Councilwoman Kassandra Timothe put forth a motion to terminate Cameau, pursuant to the terms of the City Manager’s employment agreement.

Vice Mayor Mary Estime Irvin and Councilman Pierre Frantz Charles then joined Timothe to vote for the motion to remove Cameau.

Mayor Alix Desulme and Councilman Scott Galvin voted against the move.”

According to an April 30, 2024 Miami Times article, “Timothe refused to cite specific reasons for her decision, but addressed Cameau, saying ‘I lack the confidence, trust, faith that you are the best fit to lead the city.”

What Councilwoman Timothe did not say publicly, but what appears to be common knowledge among North Miami insiders, “public works director Wisler Pierre-Louis was in hot water for mismanaging department funds and was soon to be disciplined by Cameau when Estimé-Irvin interceded by threatening her with termination.”

Needless to say, Article IV, Sec. 19 of the North Miami Charter specifically states, “Neither the council nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or by any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in the administrative service of the city.”

Sec. 19 also specifically states, “Any councilmember violating the provisions of this section, or voting for a resolution or ordinance in violation of this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall cease to be a councilmember.”

In response, three individuals have filed a formal complaint with the Miami State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in the hopes that she will finally open an investigation of officials committing actual public corruption instead of her political enemies.

We here at VotersOpinion have very little faith in that ever happening, especially in light of CBS Miami reporter Jim DeFede’s recent two-part bombshell exposés (April 7, 2024 and April 21, 2024) on the rampant corruption that’s been going on in Rundle’s office for years.

But we already knew that.

North Miami residents are so angry about the impending termination of their beloved City Manager, some of them have begun a recall process against Mary Estimé-Irvin, undoubtedly North Miami’s most corrupt elected official since ex-Mayor Andre Pierre.

According to the Miami Times article, in addition to violating the City’s Charter, “Estimé-Irvin is also accused by the recall committee of using city funds to travel abroad in her political capacity and of constantly spending unbudgeted money. Most recently at the town council’s April meeting, she placed an item on the agenda seeking approval to give $100,000 to the May 2024 Haitian Compas Festival at Bayfront Park.”

Biscayne Times reporter Mark Sell also had plenty to say about the politically motivated firing of City Manager Rasha Cameau.

In Firing North Miami Manager a Bad Idea, he opined:

“North Miami is close to broke, with next to zero reserves for rainy days like hurricanes, and Cameau, who shuns publicity, is struggling to right the city’s fiscal house and correct a long-standing structural deficit.

Developers and businesses are eager to come in. North Miami’s water and sewer system is a mess, with more pipes bursting every month; yawning bill delinquencies, which Cameau has made big landlords cough up; and a 1962 water plant held together with baling wire, rubber bands, chemical treatments and staff heroism. Inaction risks building moratoriums or state receivership. This is no time for unbudgeted parties, council pay raises, foreign trips or fancy hotel stays.”

Which is precisely why the hard-partying, world-traveling, corrupt Councilmembers want to ditch the fiscally responsible City Manager.  They don’t like being told “NO!”

The reporter also added:

“After a little over a year on the job, residents and business owners alike give Cameau good-to-great reviews. Her mandate is to reverse an underlying deficit, improve flagging staff morale, restructure departments, and speed efficiency and responsiveness. She often says no to unbudgeted items, thus annoying councilmembers.”

Obviously, Rasha Cameau is too good at her job.

And, frankly, she’s way too good for North Miami.

Instead of listening to their constituents — or complying with their own Charter — the three reprobate elected officials refused to wait until the next regularly scheduled Council Meeting to fire the City Manager.

So they called for a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 5:30 in the afternoon (when most residents will be unable to attend) to vote on:

“A PRELIMINARY RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IV, SECTION 18 OF THE CITY CHARTER, COMMENCING THE PROCESS OF REMOVING THE CITY MANAGER FROM OFFICE; SUSPENDING THE CITY MANAGER FROM DUTY IMMEDIATELY; APPOINTING AN INTERIM CITY MANAGER; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND ALL OTHER PURPOSES”

Undaunted by the Florida Sunshine Law, it’s highly likely that Councilmembers Timothe, Estimé-Irvin, and Charles have already decided on their choice for Interim City Manager.

Are we the only ones who suspect that Duke Sorey is on the short list?

Because water seeks its own level.

If you’re fed up and angry about the unjust firing of Rasha Cameau and the non-responsiveness of your elected officials, come to City Hall to protest on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 an hour before the Special Council Meeting to make your voice be heard!

Stephanie