Rasha Cameau’s short-lived career as North Miami city manager is just about over, with at least three city councilmembers all but prepared to officially terminate her contract at their next meeting this month.
The matter will be discussed at a 5:30 p.m. special meeting May 7, called at the last minute by a council majority looking to streamline Cameau's ousting. Cited reasons for her termination include "lack of confidence in the city manager," "lack of acceptable oversight and effective leadership," "failure to adquately support and implement the vision and goals of councilmembers," "failure to properly communicate," and "failure to follow councilmembers' direction."
The vote, said to be preliminary, would effectively push Cameau out of city hall and into paid administrative leave by Tuesday until attorneys work up the terms for her termination. Those terms will still have to be approved by the council at a future meeting, though no action is likely to take place at the regularly scheduled May 14 meeting during which Cameau's firing was initially set for.
Councilmember Kassandra Timothe introduced the idea in April, sparking confusion and outrage among residents and the two people who seem to have Cameau’s back: Councilmember Scott Galvin and Mayor Alix Desulme.The two dissenting council members said they will not be attending Tuesday's special meeting.
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.”
(Biscayne Times File Photo)
Rasha CameauNorth Miami City Manager
Biscayne Times contributor Mark Sell wrote more about that April meeting and where it leaves the city in this edition’s commentary page.
Meanwhile, the secrecy has led to speculation about what has fueled such distaste for Cameau, who has alternately been praised as a beacon of hope for the financially unstable city.
It could also be the final straw before residents embark on an effort to recall councilmembers tied to Cameau’s ousting. Without a clear lead to spearhead a campaign against Timothe, for which there is at least a rumored appetite, the District 2 councilmember may be in the clear for now. But the same can’t be said for District 3 Councilmember Mary Estimé-Irvin, who seconded and supported Timothe’s motion to fire Cameau.
The feat is being led in part by Laura Hill, a former resident now living in Arizona who previously ran against Estimé-Irvin during the 2021 election. She is a former president and founder of NoMi Neighbors, a homeowners association in District 3.
Hill claims Estimé-Irvin has allegedly “involved herself in interfering with the hiring and firing of city staff.” Under the city’s charter, the council can appoint and remove the city manager and city attorney, but it is the city manager’s duty to appoint and remove all employees.
(Wisler Pierre-Louis via LinkedIn)
Wisler Pierre-Louis, North Miami public works director, has resigned.
Hill says she has it on good authority that public works director Wisler Pierre-Louis was in hot water for mismanaging department funds and was going to be disciplined by Cameau when Estimé-Irvin interceded by threatening the city manager with termination. Hill refused to identify her source to the Biscayne Times.
Pierre-Louis resigned suddenly the morning of April 5, blaming Cameau for creating a “toxic work environment.” Neither Estimé-Irvin nor Pierre-Louis could be reached for comment.
Hill, along with a committee of four current residents, said she intends to file a complaint with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in hopes of triggering an investigation into Estimé-Irvin’s conduct that results in her removal. If that fails, an organized recall campaign would follow.
“It’s very difficult, but I think we’re going to give it a try,” said Hill. “I think the number of signatures we need is about 820, and that’s doable.”
Hill said she sold her house in North Miami because she was tired of incessant flooding, high insurance premiums and shady politics, but that she continues to be involved because she “love(s) the city and wants to see it succeed.”
Hill may be out west now, but North Miami resident Eileen Bicaba is still leading the recall charge right from the battleground itself.
(Laura Hill via Instagram)
Laura Hill is a leader of a proposed recall effort against North Miami Councilmember Mary Estimé-Irvin.
“I have gone through hell in District 3,” Bicaba said. “Absolute hell.”
She says she’s notified of a water main break or a sewage repair in her neighborhood several times a month, while overdue drainage improvements on NE Third Court continue to stall.
She also says Pierre-Louis often attributed flooding on her block to water backup from the nearby canal, but that it was actually due to councilmembers greenlighting Abreu Development’s requests to build on NE 135th Street without proper infrastructure. Elevation of the land sent water and sewage down onto NE Third Court for years until the company placed a berm to block the flooding just last year.
Hill said the allegedly mismanaged public works dollars were supposed to fund septic-to-sewer conversions in that exact area.
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 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. She tabled the item to the May 14 meeting, however, the same one during which Cameau is set to be fired.
Cameau is known for rejecting expenditures of unbudgeted dollars. She adopted a city last year that had only recently clawed its way out of a $14.7 million deficit, had no reserves for emergencies, and is in desperate need of a new water plant and infrastructure replacements.
When she took the job, she said she’d need to “make huge changes in the first year” and would “meet some resistance.”
Cameau was right about that.
Editor's note: The following article was updated on 5/3 to reflect a vote scheduled for 5/7 regarding the termination of the city manager.
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(City of North Miami)
Mary Estimé-IrvinNorth Miami Councilmember
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(Courtesy of Eileen Bicaba)
North Miami’s District 3 has experienced incessant flooding over the years.
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(Miami-Dade Beacon Council via LinkedIn)
North Miami Councilmember Mary Estimé-Irvin, wearing blue, joined the Miami-Dade Beacon Council on a trip to Spain last month.