Caro Fires City Manag 3r Tim ollo F C M ger rd me

Job Has Changed Hands 10 Tim In 8 Month H mes hs

June 16, 1998| By JAY WEAV VER Miami Bureau

M ose Pedrosa for the third _ and possi ibly Mayor Joe Carollo fired City Manager Jo Garcia-P last _ tim on Mond night. me day Earlier, the City Co t ommission had voted 4-1 to reinst h 4 a-Pedrosa a against tate Garcia Carollo's wishes. The mayor then dismissed the em s T t mbattled city manager and y reappoin nted Police Chief Dona Warsha as interim manager yet again. ald aw . Commis ssioner Tom Regala mas ado, who ha led the o as opposition to the mayo firings, s o or's said he would not call fo another special mee d or s eting to try a another ove erride. ``Someb body has to break this cycle,'' Regalado said ``I think t o d. this is a mo ockery.'' Commis ssioner Arth Teele sa the seemingly end hur aid dless cycle o firings an hirings of nd made th city's top officials ``look like stu he udent gover rnment 100 0.'' Garcia-P Pedrosa wa appointe more tha five mont ago by Carollo's p as ed an ths political rival, former Mayor Xavie Suarez. The positio has beco M er on ome a symb of the city's chaos bol since a fraud-filled election in mid-Novem f mber. The jo has cha ob anged hands 10 times during th past eigh months he ht Carollo said he fired Garcia-Pedrosa for the third tim since th beginning of June fo s me he g or three rea asons: * The mayor claims Garcia-Pe s edrosa reco ommended that the City Commission award a $72,000 landscapin contract to Recio & Associates without a competitiv bidding 0 ng s ve process. * He also maintains the city manager discussed a tw s m wo-year ext tension on a $371 million garbage recycling contract wit the comm e c th mission in F February w without divulging that he e had onc represented the con ce ntractor, Be edminster S Seacor Serv vices, as its attorney. s * The mayor also claims Garc c cia-Pedrosa was recen given a lump-sum retirement a ntly payment of $31,680 in violatio of his contract. It wa suppose to be pai in id on as ed installme ents.

``There were plenty of hard facts to fire him from day one,'' Carollo said. ``This was never political.'' While that is open to debate because of Carollo's rivalry with Suarez, the greater challenge for city officials will be restoring stability to Miami. City commissioners said they didn't think the mayor's actions would help that goal, arguing that local services, including garbage collection, have suffered because of the turmoil. ``I think what we have now is very little stability,'' Teele said. The commission recently balanced this year's budget, gaining the approval of a state board that oversees its every financial move. But rapid turnover in the city manager's job leaves Miami without stable administrative leadership. The manager is in charge of virtually all personnel and budget matters. At this stage, such stability is critical because the city must prepare a five-year recovery plan that meets the approval of the state board, appointed by Gov. Lawton Chiles.