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After a resolution to hire an executive search firm to find a new Coral Gables city manager was rejected Tuesday, former US marshal of the Southern District of Florida Amos Rojas Jr. was selected as city manager.
By a 3-2 vote, Mr. Rojas was appointed after Commissioner Ariel Fernandez nominated him. The two no votes came from Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, who said she had never seen the candidate’s resume.
“I have to start by thanking our interim city manager who stepped up to the plate and things haven’t skipped a beat. So, appreciate the service you’ve given us. Regardless of the time or what you’re doing, you’ve answered the calls and I appreciate that,” Mr. Fernandez said before pausing and looking at Mayor Lago. “Last commission meeting, this commission voted to begin discussions with a preferred candidate to potentially make that person our next city manager, but we had a problem. The next day an anonymous text was sent out disparaging that candidate. Who sent it? … It’s a rhetorical question, but we all know who sent it.”
Assistant City Manager Alberto Parjus was at the moment serving as interim city manager for the next three months after the city commission voted to terminate Peter Iglesias from the role on Feb. 13.
“If anything, you’re accusing me again. I did not send that text message and as a person who knows you very well and again, is to continue chipping on my integrity,” the mayor responded. “And what we have here, commissioner, is a great opportunity to leave the games behind.”
It is also important for residents to know the message the mayor is sending to the candidate, Mr. Fernandez replied, “Through a mutual friend, you said if he took the job, you would, and I quote, ‘give him hell’”?
At the Feb. 13 meeting, the commission directed a discussion with Miami-Dade County Aviation Director Ralph Cutié for the position of city manager after Commissioner Kirk R. Menendez nominated him.
“I did not make that statement. What I said was very clear to everybody. The best way to do this is to use a national search firm and go in a way that is transparent,” Mayor Lago said on Tuesday. “And it’s an open process where everybody can have a bite of the apple and is the best candidate for the city. To continue to blame for somebody not coming here, but at the end of the day, it was their decision not to come here.”
A message with those wordings was communicated, confirmed Commissioner Kirk R. Menendez.
“You weren’t the only one who disparaged this county candidate. The vice mayor stated here on the record that the candidate had been fired and that’s why he was seeking this job,” Commissioner Fernandez continued. “Nothing can be further from the truth. He’s still working for Miami-Dade County, and people are very happy that he is there trying to address these issues at the airport.”
The vice mayor responded by stating that she had only repeated what she had heard.
“During our break [at the Feb. 13 city commission meeting] a lot of things are heard, but I also received a message from Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Cabrera expressing displeasure in the manner in which certain members of this commission – and they know who they are – going around the county’s back directly trying to negotiate away one of their employees,” Ms. Anderson said.
“So, we can continue on with his gamesmanship if you wish, or we can get to the matter at hand, which is we need to find a qualified candidate for this position,” she continued. “You know, grandstanding like this does not move our city forward. It’s embarrassing for our city. It may make you feel good. It may make you feel important. It may make you think that you’re doing a wonderful thing for your constituency, but you’re doing exactly the opposite for our constituency. So, the question remains, how do you want to proceed going forward?”
Mr. Fernandez then nominated Mr. Rojas as city manager starting Wednesday.
Mr. Rojas is a graduate of Coral Gables Senior High School and of Miami Dade College, where he is in the Hall of Fame, Mr. Fernandez said. His leadership roles include eight years as a special agent in charge of the Miami Regional Operations Center for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, two years as deputy director of the South Florida money laundering Strike Force of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, and four-and-a-half years as US marshal of the Southern District of Florida, he said.
“This gentleman commands respect because he gives respect,” Mr. Fernandez continued. “A man dedicated to service and to his family, someone who can lead the city as we end our first centennial and ensure the clean start of our second. With that, I would make a motion for this commission to name Amos Rojas Jr. Coral Gables’ next city manager.”
Vice Mayor Anderson said she is familiar with a job a US marshal does, which is a very different job than a city manager.
“Without having a resume, without having an opportunity to sit down and speak to this individual on an in-depth level,” she said, “this sounds no different than what happened at the last meeting. This is not a thoughtful process.”
Mayor Lago agreed, stating that he has never met with Mr. Rojas: “This has never been done before in this fashion. I’ve never even shaken your hand.
You’re probably a wonderful individual, competent, who’s capable and can do a great job… But [he said he told another hopeful for the job that] the best way to move forward as a community to build consensus around the city manager is not for having one person pick the city manager, it is for it to be done by an outside agency, and I request and I asked you to please put your name into the mix; get involved. You know, give us all your credentials, give us your resume.”
When given a chance to speak, Mr. Rojas said he’s not a politician and respects the commission’s process.
“I’m interested in the position because I believe that I can add value to see how this process works,” he said. “It’s really up to you. So, what I hear you saying, Mr. Mayor, “is ‘you’re interested in the job but we’re going do something else.’ That’s your right. I’m just here saying that I’m interested, I can do that. I think I’m the right person for the position at this time.”
The mayor then advised Mr. Rojas to convince Commissioner Fernandez to have him go through a process and not just come up to the commission meeting and say he wants the job because he has the votes.
A lot of the things the mayor said were accurate, said Commissioner Melissa Castro. “But given the circumstances that we’re in, I do not trust him. I’m not going to sabotage this opportunity. So, I am still seconding this motion given the past history of what’s happened.”
A 3-2 vote then appointed Mr. Rojas city manager. A salary and benefits agreement was later completed with similar terms as the interim city manager, with the same vote results.
“As I said before, congratulations. I look forward to working with you, but my vote is no,” Mayor Lago said before closing out the meeting.
Abraham Galvan
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