Jan 23, 2009 8:54 am US/Eastern
Miami Watchdog Panel Votes To Fire Director
Bureaucrat Makes Too Much Money, Critics Say
CIP Voted To Fire Richardson 8 Votes, 1 Member Abstained From Voting
Ethics Hotline: 786-314-9560
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Miami's Civilian Investigative Panel voted Thursday night to fire its Director Shirley Richardson, who the panel says was earning too much money for her job, but she was not present because of an illness.
One of the board members abstained from voting, but eight others voted to approve the firing. Richardson reportedly has pneumonia and did not attend the vote on her job. The CIP asked her to provide a statement, but she declined.
"She led us through our infancy stages, but the money's just not there and we need to move forward," CIP member Rudy De La Guardia said in explaining his motion to dismiss Shirley Richardson, the panel's director since it was created by a vote of the people in 2001.
Richardson receives a salary of $168,000 a year, a car allowance of $800 a month, and a cell phone allowance of $200 a month. CIP members who believe she should be let go cite growing budget cuts, and Richardson's refusal to accept a pay cut. Some members are angry that Richardson arranged a smaller salary reduction through an "end run" to City Manager Pete Hernandez.
Hernandez has told the CIP that they can fire Richardson if they like, but that he controls line-item budget matters, including Richardson's salary.
The CIP was created to investigate alleged police wrongdoing. It probed alleged abuses during the Free Trade Area of The Americas summit in Miami, and more recently chastised Police Chief John Timoney for his acceptance of free use of a luxury car.
While the CIP's executive director gets a generous city car allowance and cell phone allowance, three investigators for the agency have no cell phones and have to share one car from the city motor pool. On Friday, two lower level staff members were laid off in a budge cutting measure.
"We need to bring value to the dollars," De La Guarda said Thursday, "and that's why I'm proposing this termination. She wasn't willing to take a pay cut."
In an earlier CIP meeting, Chairman Brenda Shapiro shared concerns that staff necessary to investigate alleged police abuses was being cut, while upper-level executives were enjoying big salary increases.
"The budget does not reflect our priorities," Shapiro said.
Richardson does have some supporters on the panel, who cite her work in getting the CIP up and running.
"If we pay $800,000 to the executive director because she's doing $800,000 worth of work, so be it," member Michelle Delancy said at the panel's December 16th meeting.
Richardson did not return a call from CBS4 News seeking comment.
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