MIAMI – Victoria Méndez is out as Miami’s city attorney — effective immediately.
Originally set to leave her position this summer, city commissioners voted Thursday to remove her as the city’s top litigator, who’s been on the job since 2013 and with the city since 2004.
However, she’ll remain employed by the city in an “advisory role” until June 11 — when she was scheduled to leave anyway.
District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo spearheaded the resolution to oust Mendez; commissioners passed an amended version stripping Méndez of her title.
Méndez has been under the microscope over ongoing litigation, as well as a public radio investigation into her family’s role in the county’s Guardianship Program; she’s denied any wrongdoing.
District 1 Commissioner Miguel Gabela has made no secret his desire to see Méndez — who argued on behalf of the city that Gabela should have never been on the ballot — let go.
Gabela had a tense exchange with Méndez Thursday, with the two talking over each other.
“You interfered in an election,” Gabela said, referencing the lawsuit.
Méndez retorted, “You’re upset at me for doing my job pursuant to the charter.”
“I think we’ve got to turn the page in the city of Miami,” Gabela said.
John Greco will be Miami’s acting city attorney until commissioners can hire a permanent replacement.
City Manager Art Noriega was also on the agenda Thursday, but will stay in his role.
He’s been on the hot seat regarding city furniture purchases from a company connected to his wife.
“His performance is not what is at question here; it is his judgment, that when he came in four years ago, that he knew his wife was selling furniture,” Gabela said. “The optics don’t look good and it is a bad perception.”
Noriega has denied any wrongdoing, saying the company was “a vendor for seven years before I was even married” and “had a pre-existing contract.”
“There was never malfeasance here, never intent to make money for an outside vendor that my wife works for,” he said.
Noriega said he flagged any potential conflicts in a 2020 memo.
District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo has defended the city manager.
“Where is the beef with that?” he told Local 10 News.
Noriega said his recommendation moving forward — beyond a memo — is to flag potential conflicts as a commission discussion item and send them to the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust for an opinion.
As for the constant bickering on the dais, Commission Chair Christine King said she is fed up with the lack of decorum and is asking the city clerk to provide commissioners with training.