Newly-elected Doral Councilman Pete Cabrera has not been on the job for a month even, 
and already he wants to fire City Clerk Barbara Herrera.
Is he a savvy professional businessman who knows when administrative changes need to be made?
Or is this, as some believe, the first salvo in a series of attempts to restructure key city departments, hiring cronies in the place of professional staff.
Or is it just a case of political payback?
A former council member who was termed out in 2012 — and lost that year’s mayoral election (eliminated in the first round) — Cabrera was sued by Herrera in 2009 for gender discrimination after what the clerk testified was a history of harassment and abuse of power. The city and the councilman settled in 2011, costing the taxpayers about $30,000, according to the agreement.
Now “Tio Pete” wants to terminate Herrera. He wanted to fire the city clerk at a special meeting this week. But he’ll have to wait until next week after he apparently failed to get a quorum.
Read related story: Joe Carollo fired amid heated shots at meeting
Cabrera — who served for eight years before coming back Nov. 4 in a win over former incumbent Councilwoman Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera — sent Herrera an email (awkward!) Saturday, asking for her to call a special meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, right before the council’s zoning meeting, to discuss her termination.
But on Nov. 21, he wrote the city attorney to ask what the process to fire one of the three appointed charter officials. That means that in 16 days since being sworn-in Nov. 5, he determined that Herrera was such a bad clerk that she should lose her job without any remediation.
“For years while previously on the Council I observed the inefficiencies, tardiness to work, mistakes, oversights and the politics of the City Clerk on a routine basis and expressed my concerns over the years. I am extremely disappointed to observe that this behavior continues to occur on a regular basis,” Cabrera wrote in his email requesting a special meeting.
“Things such the agendas not being posted on a timely manner, errors in the agendas, incorrect backup information, untimely responses to records requests (or worse selective timing to when provide information based on the individual), disregard to City Attorney’s legal guidance on matters and much more,” he wrote, without offering details or documentation of these alleged incidents.
“It is crucial that at this time as we try to move forward towards a more positive, efficient, and transparent government that this type of behavior discontinue at our City,” he wrote in an email forwarded to the other council members. “As such 
I am requesting and hoping to have your support on this matter that I consider extremely important for our City.”
Sources at the city told Ladra that the allegations are simply untrue. Herrera is not perfect, they said, but she routinely performs her duties either satisfactorily or above expectations. Agendas are, indeed, posted online days before the meeting and Cabrera has not asked for a report on the turnaround time for the public records requests.
Seems more and more like a grudge to many observers. Even Herrera apparently does not believe this is about her job performance.
“I am certainly disappointed and surprised at the councilman’s request to terminate me,” she told Ladra. “It seems that his actions are retaliatory for the lawsuit I had once filed against him — something which I thought we put behind us to best serve the interests of the city we both serve.
“However, I have faith that my exemplary service and dedication to the city throughout the past nine and a half years will be a factor in the council’s decision,” she added.
There’s more. Please press this “continue reading” button to “turn the page.”
Pages: 1 2
More Doral drama as ‘new’ councilman aims to fire clerk added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
[…] Read related story: More Doral drama as ‘new’ councilman aims to fire clerk […]
New councilman is taking the City to new labor litigation. That is obvious and the taxpayers of Doral will lose again. Ms. Herrera will have an easy time proving the pattern of harassment, again. Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA).
The new councilman’s conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit under these laws; or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.
Councilman “Tio Pete” there is personal liability when your conduct exceeds your elected duty.
Remember that Pedro Cabrera A.K.A PETE attempted along with Sandra Ruiz A.K.A Tijuana, to sell Luigi
Boria down the river, before the last election ONLY to do a 160,to support Boria after being turned down by the other candidate while meeting at the Doral CC. These people are all despicable.
Regarding Marcial Baralt’s unsavory comments please disregard it, is UNCLE PETE alter ego. We do support you, and your excellent reporting . By the way the City Clerk Ms. Herrera just filed another law suit against Uncle Pete. (12/5/14)
Now we know Pete Cabrera agenda, revenche , revenche and revenche . The next víctims: the people who didn’t support him
Incredible, “God”, “Reverend”, “Angel” or should we call him “Saint” Cabrera was given a second chance in life to come back and “Clean” the City of Doral of all its bad management. Because for what they are trying to portray here, it seems nobody there is capable of identifying a bad, lazy, irresponsible employee and “if” they noticed something, nobody had the balls to fire evil Barbara. So maybe he should focus his efforts on getting rid of everyone…PLEASE, all he cares about is himself, what a coincidence that there is only one bad apple at the City of Doral and it happens to be the same person that put a lawsuit against him. Coincidence, no, I’m sure the fire has been burning and bursting inside of him all these years and now, again because of the position of “power” that he was put in, he can retaliate against her…#stopbullyingtheclerk!
I just hope residents become more involved! Don’t sit and watch all this happen. Remember these are career politicians, they still need votes!!! We have to defend our City from personal agendas. Write to council and let them know what you want, come to meetings… It is important to let them know that we are paying attention and don’t like what is happening!!!!! Our voices are strong but we have to use them.
I could go on and on about Barbara Herrara’s professionalism as day after day she jumps into our snake pit of a city council, but who has the time to say it and who has the time to read it? The problem with this city is NOT the employees…. its the elected council-people. How she keeps her composure on the dais while the council fumbles about for a competent leader, I’ll never know.
Forget Tio Pete or Pete the Cheat…. how about Carollo part 2?
BORIA, CAROLLO, CABRERA, RUIZ etc. etc. These are the reasons we never should have voted for incorporation. Incorporation only works when the people elected put the city before themselves. Incorporation only works when you have enough people inside the city to have a worthwhile pool of potential candidates to draw from. When you don’t have that, you get these power mad ‘businessmen’ and their personal agendas. No one even ran against Ana Maria Rodriguez (although it seems she is a rare professional in the group). You even had Bettina and Christi Fraga advertising their personal businesses on the City Website.
I say the mere fact that Cabrera has called for her termination 16 days into his term is a clear case of Hostile Work Environment. Added with his history towards her, she should look into filing ANOTHER lawsuit.
There is one thing that he is showing his true colors after he brained washed all the kids to go out to have him elected. I guess the kids don’t know that he is no ones Tio Pete. He is a person who has personal agendas. And one is Barbara Herrera who he sexually harassed her and she won in court. Second, he left his first wife by having an affair with the second one which makes him dishonest and third and final he has no morals. He is a fake who also uses his Catholic belief to convince people he is this wonderful person. He has already violated several Commandments if he is so Catholic.
And watch he will go after the City Manager next to place his buddy Sergio Purrions who he has been promising that he is going to bring him back. A crock that stole from Doral and Homestead. And then the Finance Director, and final Chief of Police.
You can start to watch the cirus December 10 when Sandra Ruiz and him will start attacking. Lets see if the other Council members(Boria & Fraga) will be a part of the drama.
Oye chica y don yu rite dis in espanol so da Major can understand OK!
So Pete now has gain back his power and is playing GOD. Sorry, Pete, but you were wrongly elected to begin with. Now you want to fire someone who has diligently worked at the City of Doral for so many years, just because you had a quarrel in the past? This is downright low class, typical macho behavior. Stand up and do what’s right, admit to your mistakes, make amends and let this woman do her job, which she is very capable off. Do not let the whole world believe, that we are all scumbags. Clean your front door first, before you start cleaning your office, you have sunk lower into the public eye with your actions. Just remember, you have to pay for that in the fires of hell.
Time for the Ethic Commision to stop this blatant attempt by Pete Cabrera to fire a competant city employee. This is outright unethical and harassment. All City of Doral employees should join together and file a class action law suit claiming “hostile work environment”. Cabrera is an embarrassment to the great citizen of Doral.
How about “Pete the Cheat”?!
Dear Marcial, I can assure you there is no agenda here except to expose the truth and advocate for transparency. That is the mission of this blog.
So don’t tell me how to do my job. That IS precisely my job. Ladra is not here to “just report the news,” as you say. There are plenty of media outlets that do that. Ladra is here to analyze events and make the connections that the mainstream media either cannot make or is afraid to. That is my purpose. You don’t like it? Go read another source. Or, better yet, start your own blog.
I have plenty of backbone and I said exactly what I meant. I don’t know why you are confused. Maybe you don’t understand sarcasm? Because, the fact is that he asked about the process to fire her 16 days after being sworn in. That was a fact reported. Take away weekends, and that is around 10 or 12 days. Another fact. This is to fire someone who last year got a 20% raise, unanimously, because she must have been doing a good job. That’s yet another fact. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that I connect the facts pretty well.
I think it is also telling that Councilman Cabrera — who you disrespectfully refer to as Mr. — has refused to talk to me about it.
As for calling him “Tio Pete” once (you know, so that it doesn’t read Councilman Cabrera, Cabrera, Cabrera over and over again), that is because that is what others call him. It’s not my nickname.
I may have one for him soon, though. Feel free to make suggestions.
Love, Ladra
Most people who know the history of this city know that this is clearly a case of an attempt to restructure key city departments, hiring cronies in the place of professional staff! Well, that and payback for the lawsuit the city clerk was forced to file against the councilmemeber during his last run at “public service” (when he served none but his own interest). Wake up to who you elected residents of Doral.
The author of this article is nothing more then a hatchet man, you start the article by saying
“Is he a savvy professional businessman who knows when administrative changes need to be made? Or is this, as some believe, the first salvo in a series of attempts to restructure key city departments, hiring cronies in the place of professional staff. Or is it just a case of political payback?”
Why don’t you develop a backbone and say what you mean and mean what you say?!?!? Stop insinuating and speculating and start just reporting the news rather then what you are doing which is to gossip like a spoil brat.
I don’t know what is behind what Mr. Cabrera is doing but there are two things i know A) City of Doral is totally dysfunctional and B) The only way tomake changes is to fired people who aren’t doing their job.
The fact that you refer to Mr. Cabrera as “TIO PETE” is proof that you have an specific agenda yourself.
How about doing your job and just report the news rather then make news via GOSSIP and innuendoes.