Director of downtown Miami agency placed on leave amid board dysfunction
The director of the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has been placed on administrative leave as the agency’s 15-member board searches for her replacement and reckons with what's been described as a dysfunctional and hostile environment.
On Wednesday, Miami DDA board members voted unanimously to place agency CEO and Executive Director Christina Crespi on administrative leave for a month while she negotiates an exit package with the City Attorney’s Office.
The charged meeting prompted a scolding from board member Vicki Lopez, who described the situation as a “kangaroo court” and said it was “disturbing” to see board members acting as a “de facto” human resources department.
“I believe that the board needs some training, because we have not acted like a professional board who is governed by state statute and a city ordinance, and that is very embarrassing,” said Lopez, who is also a Miami-Dade County commissioner. “We should all be embarrassed.”
Lopez also offered an apology to Crespi, saying she was sorry if the process “in some way created more anxiety and harm.”
Wednesday’s vote marked the latest development in the ongoing turmoil at the public agency, which gets funding from property taxes within the greater downtown area. The DDA’s stated mission is to “grow, strengthen, and promote the economic development and quality of life of Downtown Miami’s vibrant neighborhoods.”
Crespi’s dramatic departure follows several public meetings where Miami City Commissioner and DDA Chairman Ralph Rosado called into question Crespi’s performance, accusing her of having frequent absences, repeatedly accruing negative vacation time and potentially committing “time theft.” Rosado also said staff in his District 4 commission office has been providing the DDA with a “massive” amount of assistance by picking up slack to complete DDA tasks.
Crespi denied the claims, saying a bookkeeping error led to false allegations about her hours and vacation time. Crespi had taken leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) last year. When she returned, she had a balance of over 200 negative sick hours, according to the agency’s director of administration and public services, but two employees donated 100 hours and 80 hours, respectively, of sick leave to Crespi, helping her get out of the hole.
Rosado’s allegations — first made public last month — came as a shock to board members, who described the situation as a “witch hunt” and a “public assassination” of Crespi, who’s been the DDA executive director since 2020. Her salary is $275,000.
Crespi was presented with a separation agreement last month, although the source of the agreement is unclear. She recently countered with a proposal that included five months’ severance and a seven-month “expert consulting agreement,” as well as a lump sum payment that included a 10% “completion bonus” of $27,500, as well as $21,000 for a loan she received from her retirement account, according to an internal memo.
The City Attorney’s Office last week recommended against accepting that offer. So on Wednesday, Crespi and her attorney sat by as board members haggled over a new exit package. The board arrived at an offer that includes an expert consulting agreement at Crespi’s current pay rate that would run through Sept. 30, followed by 20 weeks’ severance that includes continued health insurance coverage.
Crespi’s attorney, Robert Twombly, told the board that his client would not be making a decision Wednesday. With Crespi now on leave, the board appointed DDA Chief of Economic Development and Strategy Michaeljohn Green as acting director and approved upward of $50,000 to conduct a search for Crespi’s replacement.
The fallout has brought attention to a public agency that doesn’t typically find itself in the spotlight. The Miami DDA, governed by a 15-member board, represents a special taxing district that encompasses Brickell, downtown and parts of Edgewater. The DDA budget includes an estimated $12.8 million in property tax revenue for the current fiscal year.
Lopez, the county commissioner, was absent for the May meeting where Rosado first made his allegations to the full board.
Seated beside Rosado on Wednesday, Lopez appeared appalled at what had transpired in recent weeks. She chastised board members, as well as Rosado, saying he should not have let his city staff do DDA work “in any capacity.” She also condemned a meeting last week where board members directly asked questions of DDA staff.
“This feels very much like a kangaroo court, and we are not — that is not the role of the board of directors of, I might remind you, a government agency,” Lopez said.
Lopez, a former state legislator, warned board members that Tallahassee was watching.
“I’ll tell you what’s next, and I’ll put you all on notice,” Lopez said. “If you think no one has noticed how we have functioned in the last three months, let me remind you — the state legislature always has its eyes on everything. And if you think that this is the kind of behavior that isn’t going to warrant a state legislator to file some bill, think again.”
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