Within the past four months, Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid moved to accelerate a performance review of Town Manager Edward Pidermann and to replace him with the assistant town manager.
Last October, Cid sought to have the council review Pidermann’s performance, 15 months before his contract was to expire.
Cid said then that he wanted “to create a long-term policy regarding evaluation of the manager. The contract calls for a yearly evaluation. When should the evaluation happen?”
During the Feb. 8 council meeting, Cid proposed that Assistant Town Manager Tony Lopez become town manager.
The council did not approve Cid’s recommendations from either meeting.
“It’s not personal,” Cid told The Miami Laker on Feb. 10 about his actions regarding Pidermann. “I would like to see Ed as our emergency management director.”
Cid’s suggestion that Lopez should run the town came during the council’s discussion of Pidermann’s annual $178,000 salary.
While town staff has received multiple cost of living pay increases and a bonus over the past three years, Pidermann had not received a raise or bonus since his contract began in Feb. 2019, according to a memo by Vice Mayor Jeffrey Rodriguez, who proposed the item.
Cid asked for a discussion, saying that when he initially saw the agenda item he “sort of chuckled.
“I think some of you forgot how good of a contract we gave our town manager and how well we take care of our town manager,” Cid said.
Cid listed Pidermann’s benefits as he saw them: The base salary; that Pidermann opts out of the Florida Retirement System and the town funds a retirement account for him; a $650 monthly car allowance; insurance coverage and having an assistant town manager.
Cid also said a small town such as Miami Lakes doesn’t need an assistant town manager.
Pidermann said in an email after the meeting that state law allows him to opt out of FRS and his employment agreement provides for the town to pay the same percentage into a retirement account that would have been paid into the FRS.
“There is no added cost to the town,” Pidermann said.
During the Feb. 8 meeting, Cid at first suggested making Lopez a department head and adding part-time town manager duties to Ismael Diaz, the town’s chief financial officer.
Then Cid amended his motion to appoint Lopez the town manager, a proposal met with a brief silence on the dais.
Councilwoman Marilyn Ruano said she agreed Pidermann has a “wonderful contract” and shared Cid’s opinion that Miami Lakes does not need a town manager and an assistant town manager, even though they split duties.
“Perhaps in the future we can look at that,” Ruano said.
Ruano said employees should be rewarded and she told Pidermann that she plans to keep him on his toes.
The council approved the motion to give Pidermann a raise, with Cid voting “100 percent opposed.”
The council also approved the evaluation process for Pidermann, which Cid also opposed.
Pidermann’s contract will expire in Feb. 2023. The council set Pidermann’s performance review schedule to begin in Sept. 2022, six months before his or any future manager’s contract expires.
Previously the review was to happen within 30 days of the contract’s end date.
After the meeting, Pidermann said his annual base salary increased to $186,823 and he received a one-time bonus of $4,840.
“I am humbled and extremely grateful for the vote of confidence and support demonstrated by the overwhelming majority of the town council,” Pidermann said.
Cid sent a text to The Miami Laker that said in part, “… I’ll be supporting Tony Lopez as our next town manager.”
Cid praised Lopez’s career with the town dating from 2004, when he started as a recreation manager and rose to direct two departments.
Lopez left to work nine months in Jacksonville as director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.
He returned to Miami Lakes in 2015 and worked as chief operating officer before being promoted in 2018 to deputy town manager.