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Amid Financial Turmoil, Opa-Locka Fires Its New Manager

Just months after he was hired to resolve Opa-locka's deepening financial crisis, City Manager Steve Shiver was fired from his job by commissioners in yet another tumultuous development in a city millions of dollars in debt.

By Michael Sallah and Katie Lepri

Just months after he was hired to resolve Opa-locka's deepening financial crisis, City Manager Steve Shiver was fired from his job by commissioners in yet another tumultuous development in a city millions of dollars in debt.

Led by Mayor Myra Taylor, elected leaders voted 3-1 to oust the 49-year-old administrator, who was leading an effort to rein in the city's deficit that has now reached about $8 million.

The mayor, who was supported by Commissioner Luis Santiago and Vice Mayor Timothy Holmes, claimed Shiver had violated the city's charter by revealing the city's financial problems to the state without first consulting her and members of the commission.

"I cannot work with the city manager," she told more than 100 people who turned out at the Sherbondy Village Community Center for the special morning meeting. Shiver, who left the dais moments after the vote, said he was disappointed in the mayor's leadership, but respected the other members of the commission. "In short order, you will see what I've been put through by this mayor," he said, while hastily cleaning out his office. "The community deserves financial stability."

(c)2015 Miami Herald

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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