North Miami councilmembers voted to fire city manager Rasha Cameau Tuesday night during a special meeting designed to terminate her in advance of the regularly scheduled city council meeting on May 14.
District 2 Councilperson Kassandra Timothe was the ringleader in a coordinated effort to get rid of Cameau, which was opposed by Mayor Alix Desulme and Councilman Scott Galvin. Desulme, who was expected to boycott the meeting, did not attend but Galvin turned out to cast the only no vote in Cameau's support.
"I've, in my 25 years [as councilmember], had 13 city managers that I've had the privilege to work with. You stand above them all," Galvin said to Cameau. "Thank you for everything you've done for the city of North Miami."
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
Residents gathered near North Miami City Hall before the May 7 special meeting to protest the firing of North Miami city manager Rasha Cameau.
Galvin wasn't the only one in the room who showed support for the ousted city manager. The vast majority of public speakers attended the special meeting to speak in Cameau's defense -- residents, developers, architects and business owners alike.
"We're at a crossroads, and we've got a fantastic city manager in place, and we have no backup plan," said North Miami resident and small business owner Evan Shields. "I mean, there's been zero transparent reasons why she should be removed."
In the end, councilmembers ignored residents' pleas and moved forward with a resolution to terminate Cameau without further discussion. North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) director Anna-Bo Emmanuel was appointed interim city manager.
Immediately before the special meeting, more than 30 residents wearing red t-shirts protested Cameau's firing in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art, adjacent to North Miami City Hall. The crowd chanted "We need Rasha" and held up signs calling for an end to corruption.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
North Miami Vice Mayor Mary Estimé-Irvin.
Some of the signs also read "Enforce the charter" and "Recall Mary District 3," signaling an ongoing recall effort against Vice Mayor Mary Estimé-Irvin for an alleged charter violation. The Biscayne Times reported last month that some residents believe Estimé-Irvin wrongfully interfered with the suspected firing of public works director Wisler Pierre-Louis, who resigned the same morning he was scheduled to meet with Cameau.
Three individuals filed a complaint against Estimé-Irvin, as well as councilmembers Kassandra Timothe and Pierre Frantz Charles, with the state attorney's office last week.