Medley elected a new mayor and decided on three council seats in the Nov. 6 election. With Mayor Ramon Rodriguez stepping down, the residents of Medley elected Roberto Martell over Gerardo Silva as the new mayor. Incumbent Griselia Digiacomo along with newcomers Susana Guasch and Edgar Ayala won the three council seats.

4.

ESPINO ON THE MOVE

    It started with a front page Gazette story in the Feb. 23 issue and concluded with the Aug. 14 election in Miami-Dade County. In between, Miami Springs Councilman Dan Espino became a former councilman when he announced that he would be resigning his seat in order to run against Susie Castillo for Miami-Dade County School Board District 5 Representative

    Espino officially filed the paper work on Feb. 16, held his official kickoff campaign party at the Miami Springs Country Club on April 18, officially resigned his Springs council seat at the May 14 meeting before eventually losing to Castillo in the Aug. 14 election.

5.

ROBERT WILLIAMS

    Longtime Miami Springs employee Robert Williams, who had been demoted by new city manager Ron Gorland in early 2012, abruptly resigned his $97,549-a-year post in May. The former public works director sighted “an opportunity closer to home” as the reason for his resignation.
    In July, another former employee, Caroline Howard, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Miami Springs and Williams, alleging “sex discrimination” and “forced” sex inside a director’s office. Howard had been terminated by the city as an administrator in February 2012 and was seeking damages in “excess of $15,000.”
    Later in July, U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard dismissed four counts of the 10-count suit filed by Howard. In late August, the judge asked both parties to show cause why neither had complied with a court order to file a joint scheduling report.
    At year’s end, the lawsuit was still pending, with a court date in early 2013 expected.