But Peter Iglesias has not resigned or been fired — yet
DEVELOPING STORY: It’s no secret that Coral Gables City Commissioner Ariel Fernandez doesn’t like City Manager Peter Iglesias. He already tried to fire him once, and failed. Then they got into that nasty public fight on the dais at the last commission meeting.
Now, Fernandez has proposed replacing Iglesias with Assistant City Manager Alberto Parjus.
Nevermind that Iglesias is still very firmly seated in his leather chair in his office at City Hall.
Fernandez, elected last year by reform minded residents, campaigned on replacing the manager and moved to fire him in his very first meeting after being sworn in. It lost 3-2 after only the other reform elected candidate, Melissa Castro, supported him. He already wants to revisit the issue and has put the item on the agenda for next week’s meeting.
“Our Coral Gables Charter dictates that the direction of the city is decided on by the City’s Commission, the elected body we equally make up, and enacted by a City Manager, who’s role is to follow the directives of the City Commission,” Fernandez said in a memo to commissioners written Monday.
“At our last City Commission meeting, City Manager Peter J. Iglesias’ stated, ‘as far as I’m concerned, this is not going to happen. If the commission wishes for that to happen, the commission can go ahead and do it.’ This was a direct and public insubordination of this body which has raised much concern for residents about the Manager’s willingness to address their needs and concerns,” Fernandez said.
“It has become clear during the last few months, and more so following this incident, that the time has come to remove and replace the City Manager with a new City Manager who will faithfully follow the directives of this Commission and the residents we represent.”
This story is still being reported. Please check back in for updates.
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