Longtime Coral Gables Public Relations Manager Maria Rose Higgins-Fallon was unceremoniously
transferred to the city’s police department in what seems like a retaliatory move by one or more of the administrators left behind by former City Manager Pat Salerno.
Bumped down from the job she’s been doing for 11 years, down from Public Relations Manager citywide to Public Information Manager at the police department, a newly-invented parallel but inferior position, getting paid the same $76K salary while the job she had for 11 years until the other day is advertised on the city website for more.
Is this even proper considering that a new city manager will be at City Hall soon to make those kinds of decisions? Or does this smack of a rushed smack down while the interim administration — known as the Salernoites — can still inflict pain? Of retaliation against yet one more employee from the old regime who is ultimately exiled from City Hall?
Interim Assistant City Manager Cindy Birdsill told Ladra that the move was made at the request of the police department due to an increase in demand for public information services. But that is complete bull and she knows it. And, lucky for us but bad for Cindy, everybody else knows it, too.
Read related story: Pat Salerno gives parting raises to his Coral Gables faves
Several inside sources tell Ladra that simply is not true. They say that while Interim Police Chief Ed Hudak had indicated a desire to do more aggressive social media — using twitter, principally, to send out alerts and information on crime and public safety events — that job could be easily filled by a college intern for less than $35,000 a year. Instead the Salernoites, in their infinite wisdom, are having a $76,410.88-a-year employee do it.
And where does that salary come from now? The police department budget? At a time when the Gables needs more officers, have the Salernoites invented a non police civilian position that is duplicate and unnecessary just for payback?
And, get this, they posted a job listing on the city website Monday for the Communications Director position — with a salary between $80,000 and $110,000 a year.
You mean, the job that M.R. Higgins Fallon had the day before yesterday for $76,500?
What is this really all about? Because it hardly makes any sense. In fact, someone should get fired.
Several sources told Ladra that the move was purely retaliatory because “M. R.,” as she is known, has had some confrontations with the Salernoites, which also includes raising questions about the unscheduled, two-in-a-row raises that Salerno gave an employee she supervises, Belkys Perez, without her input.
For hurting one of their own (Perez is a Salernoite) Higgins was issued a warning in August that said a bunch of blah blah blah that could be and sound like desperately trumped up charges. She used the card to buy cheap IKEA office furniture without permission. Says them. She used her time on a project without authorization. Really? She intended to use the city manager’s office? Doesn’t everyone? Shouldn’t they be welcome to?
Anyway, Higgins-Fallon issued her own response saying blah blah blah, because it doesn’t matter because the claims were bogus. They were made up after Higgins asked for a 5% raise for herself in her budget, and raised the issue of the Belkys raise again to justify it.
When the old chief resigned under pressure and the crime issue became a hot topic, the Salernoites saw their opportunity to ship her off to the police department on Salzedo Street, another hanger-on from the old regime, clinging to City Hall despite their best efforts. The written warning was issued in August. Last week, the warning was rescinded after a meeting between the administration and Higgins Fallon and her attorney. It was around the same time she was transferred.
And they hope to make it permanent before the new city manager comes in. Why are they advertising the Communications Director position rather than the significantly less important and lower budget position that they transferred the communications director to?
It’s clear that Mayor Jim Cason won’t act because the whole thing stinks of Salerno. But are commissioners going to sit by and let this happen?
If so, then nobody’s job is safe. Unless you are one of them.
Gables transfer stinks of political payback via Salernoites added by Ladra on
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