Opa-locka fires manager and brings back familiar face — but not the one expected
Opa-locka commissioners voted Tuesday evening to fire Interim Manager James Wright and replace him with a former city official, but not the one who was expected.
Even the one who was chosen, Darvin Williams, a former assistant city manager, told the Miami Herald he was “shocked.”
Entering the meeting, signs seemed to point to the return of former City Manager John Pate, who was fired earlier this year. A proposal on Tuesday’s agenda would have brought Pate back under the condition that he drop a whistleblower lawsuit against the city.
But after a 3-2 vote to fire Wright, the proposal by Commissioner Chris Davis to rehire Pate failed 4-1.
Michael Pizzi, an attorney for Pate, declined to comment on whether he had discussed potential settlement terms with the city. But he said Pate wouldn’t have simply dropped his lawsuit in exchange for getting his job back.
“To be clear, there are no circumstances under which Mr. Pate would have been willing to simply drop his million-dollar claim for damages against the City based on a temporary reinstatement that would require him to trust the City to do the right thing later on,” Pizzi said in a statement. “We are continuing to move full speed ahead and intend to prevail in court.”
After the vote to rehire Pate failed, Commissioner Sherelean Bass suggested Williams, and the commission voted unanimously to appoint him.
“I’m both shocked and honored that the commission would support me,” Williams said. “I want to bring integrity and transparency to that position.”
Williams said he doesn’t want the role long-term but had told Bass he would be happy to accept the interim role.
He told the Herald he wouldn’t apply for the permanent position. “Of course, I intend to communicate that with them,” Williams said.
Opa-locka has had a tumultuous history with city managers.
Before Williams was appointed, Davis proposed another ex-city official for the role: Newall Daughtrey, who was fired in 2018 and then quickly rehired after he had filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city. Davis’ proposal to hire Daughtrey wasn’t put to a vote.
Williams said it was Daughtrey who had fired him in 2019 after a city commissioner suggested Williams should take over as city manager. Williams chose not to file a lawsuit at the time.
“If I brought litigation, I probably wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now,” Williams said.
Meanwhile, Pate’s lawsuit against the city will continue. Pate has accused the mayor and vice mayor of plotting to fire him in violation of the Sunshine Law, along with other allegations of corruption.
Wright, a former Opa-locka police chief who had served as interim manager since January, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Two commissioners raised concerns Tuesday that Wright hadn’t communicated properly with them and abused his power during his tenure. Mayor Veronica Williams recounted a meeting with Wright at which she said the manager told her, “according to our charter, I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“This is a whole new low in the history of the city,” the mayor said.
Her comments about Wright prompted a tense exchange with Vice Mayor John Taylor.
“Pate disrespected you in public,” Taylor said. “Pate disrespected the last mayor [Matthew Pigatt] in public and you never said a word.”
Williams became mayor after Pigatt resigned in November amid a public feud with Pate.
Opa-locka has been under state financial oversight for five years and saw multiple officials arrested after FBI agents raided city hall in 2016.
Darvin Williams said he will try to bring more stability to the city. After that, he said he intends to return to his work as president of Wellspring Community Resources, a nonprofit that is building a resource center in Opa-locka.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 9:25 PM.
