Miami city manager Johnny Martinez declared a “financial urgency” Monday, forcing the city’s four major unions to enter into negotiations for new contracts with city officials.
The collective bargaining agreements for the city's four unions -- fire, police, general workers and sanitation -- are about to expire.
There’s a $61 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year and if by 14-day period of negotiations, there is no deal, commissioners can make changes to balance the budget.
In 2010 the city faced a $105 million deficit and city officials used the same state statute.
Meanwhile, Miami’s Police union has voted to spearhead a campaign to recall Mayor Tomas Regalado.
The city's Fraternal Order of Police voted by a 432-16 margin to support the recall push.
However, City Attorney Julie Bru issued a three-page opinion saying the city charter doesn’t permit a mayoral recall, saying he is not a member of Miami’s governing body. According to her opinion, Mayor Regalado is considered to be a city executive who doesn’t vote on legislation.
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But Donald Jones, a constitutional politics professor at the University of Miami, said state law permits recall elections, and trumps any city law or charter language that would prevent it.
“State law is superior to the law of a county or a city. It is supreme over those enactments. So, the city cannot pass a law that contradicts state law,” said Jones.
