The city of North Miami is currently looking for its fourth city manager in four years, leading some residents to believe the claim that “North Miami is where people’s careers go to die.”
Indeed, its city managers have come and gone in recent years for a multitude of reasons. The latest ousting, however, of Rasha Cameau – who several residents have characterized as competent and responsible – has been met with considerable backlash and for some it’s the final straw.
When this publication reported on an ongoing effort to recall Vice Mayor Mary Estimé-Irvin last month, that effort was largely a vocal one. Since then, residents have put pen to paper and, most recently, are putting their money where their mouths are.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
Former North Miami city manager Rasha Cameau being applauded by residents May 7 just before she was terminated by the city council.
Recall by Any Means
District 3 resident Eileen Bicaba is leading the charge to raise $60,000 to recall Estimé-Irvin for alleged bad behavior, much of which is tied to the suspected reason behind Cameau’s termination May 7. The money, if raised, would be used for canvassing to secure at least 1,300 signatures in support of the recall, though under 900 is expected to reach the necessary threshold.
Bicaba noted how much work and people power is required to lead a successful recall effort. According to Florida statute, anyone seeking to recall an elected official must twice obtain a set of signatures – once to trigger the recall process, effectively notifying Estimé-Irvin of the petition brought against her, and a second time to be verified by the county’s supervisor of elections before the question is put on a ballot.
Only 30 days can pass between the retrieval of both sets of signatures. The second must equal 15% of the voting population and should be submitted along with 10 cents for each name included.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
North Miami Vice Mayor Mary Estimé-Irvin faces a potential recall.
In other words, it’s no simple feat.
“We don’t want to start collecting signatures until we have a plan and enough money to pay people to collect all the signatures within 30 days,” said Bicaba.
Bicaba is therefore taking all precautions to make sure that there is both an appetite and a will for a recall in her district, and that it is done correctly before pursuing it officially. That includes ensuring residents’ signatures are up to date on their voter’s registration in order to pass verification.
Bicaba and company will be collecting money within the next couple of weeks. This effort follows the submission of a complaint with the state attorney’s office, detailing accusations against Estimé-Irvin and other members of the city council. An investigator has been assigned to the case, though Bicaba said she has not received any further updates.
(North Miami CRA)
Anna-Bo Emmanuel, Interim North Miami City Manager
Cameau’s Ousting
Estimé-Irvin did not respond to this publication’s request for comment on the allegations made against her, which include “excessive spending on international and domestic travel unrelated to the people of North Miami,” “misuse of city credit cards” and “lack of progress on District 3 projects.”
Most notably, she is accused of interfering with the hiring and firing of city staff, a duty reserved for the city manager under North Miami’s charter. The “city staff” in question is former public works director Wisler Pierre-Louis, who was in hot water with Cameau before he resigned April 5.
In a memo dated April 26, Cameau outlined the events leading up to her termination, accusing staff members representing Districts 2, 3 and 4 of contacting her and asking her to “lay off” Pierre-Louis. The councilmembers for those districts – Kassandra Timothe, Estimé-Irvin and Pierre Frantz Charles, respectively – are all included in the complaint to the state attorney.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
North Miami Councilmember Scott Galvin opposed the terminations of both city manager Rasha Cameau and Larry Spring.
Cameau was set to speak of her departure at a public hearing June 4 at 5:30 p.m.
In the meantime, Anna-Bo Emmanuel – director of the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) – was appointed interim city manager. Emmanuel’s education and work experience fall largely under the categories of English and law, though she also has about two years of experience working for both the North Miami and Homestead CRAs.
Bicaba believes there could be a conflict of interest with Emmanuel taking on both roles of city manager and CRA director. She said North Miami is known for funneling large amounts of revenue into its CRA, which doesn’t directly benefit the entire community, while neglecting the city’s general fund.
In fact, many residents believe that is part of the reason why Cameau was fired, having had the tendency to deny unbudgeted expenses.
“They want people that they can control and that they can manipulate,” said Bicaba. “They want yes-men, and that’s who they keep.”
String of City Managers
(Miami.gov)
Larry Spring, North Miami City Manager, 2016-2020.
Whatever the reason, the quick turnover in city managers is giving North Miami a reputation that’s less than ideal. Before Cameau, there was former city manager Theresa Therilus, who was credited with turning around a $14.7 million deficit when she took office in July 2020.
Therilus had been on the job for just short of three years when she resigned in February 2023, soon after taking a job within Miami-Dade County government.
Prior to Therilus was Larry Spring, who was fired without cause in 2020 after four years on the job. Though there were questions of fiscal responsibility by the council during Spring’s tenure, his firing was shrouded in secrecy and met with backlash.
Spring was granted a hefty severance package, which included 32 weeks of pay, a city-owned car worth $45,000 and an iPad. In exchange, he waived his right to a public hearing on his termination.
Back then, longtime Councilmember Scott Galvin opposed Spring’s termination and called him “the best city manager we’ve had in decades,” according to reporting by the Miami Herald. At the time, Galvin noted that he had seen 10 city managers come and go during his 21 years on the council.
He said something similar about Cameau at the May 7, 2024, special council meeting – only the number of city managers continues to grow almost as steadily as Galvin’s years do.
“I’ve, in my 25 years, had 13 city managers that I’ve had the privilege to work with. You stand above them all,” he said to Cameau. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for the city of North Miami.”
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
Residents protested what they view as wasteful behavior by city councilmembers just before a May 7 special meeting.