After successful spring break crackdown, Miami Beach city manager says she’s resigning
Miami Beach City Manager Alina Hudak tendered her resignation Thursday, a much anticipated move expected to shake up City Hall on the heels of a successful effort to change the tenor of spring break in South Beach.
Hudak said in a memo to the city’s elected officials that she will remain with the city for another 90 days, departing June 26.
“It has been one of my greatest career achievements to serve as the City Manager of this beautiful, historic and global destination,” she wrote.
City spokesperson Matt Kenny said Hudak has “no confirmed plans at this time” for a new job after she leaves Miami Beach.
Hudak, 64, was hired as city manager in Miami Beach in April 2021 on a contract that expires in April 2025. The former Miami-Dade County deputy mayor became the first woman ever appointed to run the city on a permanent basis.
Miami Beach has a council-manager form of government, under which Hudak acted as a CEO overseeing the city’s day-to-day operations.
Hudak spearheaded the city’s efforts for this year’s spring break, which included a viral marketing campaign about a desire to “break up” with the annual event, widespread parking restrictions, and a massive law enforcement presence on Ocean Drive and the surrounding area.
After commissioners said last year that they supported Hudak’s power to impose a curfew for South Beach during the highest-impact weekends in 2024, Hudak did just that on March 15, a controversial decision that triggered a lawsuit from several nightclub owners.
Hudak successfully defended the midnight curfew in court, telling a judge: “We want our city to be vibrant, but we know that this weekend historically has been an issue. We are all here collectively to do everything we need to do to protect the public.”
In recent days, Mayor Steven Meiner and other city officials have declared this spring break season a success, marked by smaller crowds and the absence of high-profile shootings, stampedes or police violence that had soured the city’s reputation during March in recent years.
Hudak’s departure is the latest in a string of exits among high-ranking administrators in the tourist hub. City Attorney Rafael Paz announced in February that he would leave in late May. Parking director Monica Beltran, chief procurement officer Alex Denis, chief of legislative and external affairs Marcia Monserrat, and building department director Ana Salgueiro have also announced their departures this year.
The shakeup comes shortly after Miami Beach voters in November elected Meiner as mayor along with three new commissioners, all of whom pledged to address spring break chaos, improve public safety and generally tailor the city toward the wishes of residents, rather than visitors.
Newly elected Commissioner David Suarez repeatedly attacked Hudak’s performance and railed against the manager during his first meeting in December, prompting Hudak to say she felt “so disrespected” by him.
An item Suarez placed on the December agenda to discuss Hudak’s contract was never discussed. At that meeting, Meiner challenged Suarez to call for a vote on whether to terminate the contract, saying he didn’t believe others would support her firing.
Hudak receives a base salary of $320,000, plus a vehicle allowance of nearly $10,000 and other benefits.
The City Commission is expected to discuss the terms of her resignation at a meeting April 3.
This story was originally published March 28, 2024 at 12:23 PM.
