Doral City Manager Fired Monday
DORAL (CBSMiami) - Monday was the last day on the job for Doral City Manager Joe Carollo. By a vote of three to two, the council voted to terminate his contract with the city.
He saw it coming.
"There's no surprise to me. I made it clear at the press conference Friday that this was being planned that there was an ambush being planned on me," he said.
Carollo predicted his firing last week after learning Vice Mayor Christi Fraga asked for a special meeting to discuss administrative evaluations. Fraga insisted she intended to discuss the high turnover rate among city staff, but during the meeting, quickly made a motion to fire Carollo.
"I am ready tonight to support a motion to terminate Mr. Carollo as our city manager and nominate Mr. Nathan Kogon as our next city manager," said Fraga. Kogon was the former planning and zoning director in Doral, but is not currently employed with the city.
The council appointed the current public works director as interim city manager.
After the meeting, Fraga told reporters, "I think all the negative energy and the bullying from our previous city manager was really taking a toll on all of us so I'm happy to say I think it's a new day in Doral."
New day or not, the meeting came with some typical drama and heated exchanges between Mayor Luigi Boria and Councilwoman Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera. Rodriguez Aguilera wanted Carollo to keep his job.
"Before Joe Carollo got here we were already having serious problems," she said.
Carollo says his firing won't solve Doral's issues and he didn't leave quietly. He alleged again, as he did last week that relatives of the vice mayor tried to sell her vote back in October when council also considered firing Carollo.
Fraga denied the accusations. "When those accusations are made it's serious, but when it comes from someone who is a disgruntled employee it's almost laughable," she said.
