Miami-Dade commissioners give fired transit director name-clearing hearing
MIAMI (WSVN) -- After Mayor Carlos Alvarez fired former Miami-Dade County Transit Director Roosevelt Bradley, Bradley was finally given a chance to clear his name in front of the county commission.
Bradley's March 15th termination created an uproar of controversy, including a sit-in protest at the mayor's office. The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People demanded that Bradley be given a name-clearing hearing, which was held at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Stephen P. Clark Center.
Bradley spoke in his defense Thursday evening for over an hour to a panel of intrigued county commission board members, trying to clear his name of any wrongdoing.
Referencing a memo that recognized the transit department for its "dedication to excellence," Bradley emphasized it as one example of a forced retirement without merit. "How can you send me a memo saying I am an excellent performer and then the next day come kick me like a mule?" Bradley said. "It doesn't appear right."
He continued to refute a 47-page document compiled by Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess detailing the reasons behind Bradley's dismissal. In it Burgess states:
"It is no surprise to Mr. Bradley that there has been a pattern of poor judgment, a lack of fiscal controls, questionable personnel decisions, on-going service complaints, inspector general investigations and most recently questionable contracting and sub-contracting practices."
Wednesday, the mayor also released details on why he let Bradley go. "With hiring practices, with the budget, with the overtime," explained Alvarez. "Lastly, we had to pull an item from the commission agenda that was a $19 million contract because we got concerned regarding some of the relationships between the director and subcontractors in that contract."
Radio waves also heated up Wednesday as the controversy surrounding one of the county's highest-ranking black employees continued to create more drama.
Talk on 1080 AM was all about Bradley's forced resignation, with Bradley hoping to gain positive support for his resignation. Some who worked for Bradley instead called in and said he should have been fired a long time ago. "I'm a fourteen year employee," one caller said. "When I first came to transit, I loved my job. Since Bradley had become director, I hardly ever want to come to work."
But he also received positive calls supporting achievements reached by his department under his tenure. "We have added over 11 million miles of bus service improvement," another caller said. "Buses are going places they have never gone before in this community."
Bradley is one of three county department heads that was fired last week. Bradley is the only one who's black, but Mayor Carlos Alvarez says color has nothing to do with his decision to let Bradley go. "His authority to make any personnel decisions in that department were taken away, that was a year ago," Alvarez said. "In the last year, things have not improved."
Members of the black community, including county commissioners and the NAACP, protested and spoke out against Alvarez's new strong mayor power to hire and fire whomever he wants.
Commissioner Barbara Jordan, who arranged the hearing, says the hearing will not reverse the mayor's decision, but it gives Bradley a chance to give his side in a public forum. "I know that the mayor is not going to change his mind," she said, "but this will give Mr. Bradley a chance for the community to hear from Mr. Bradley, they have not had that opportunity."
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