Outgoing Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales could be replaced as soon as this summer, as rumors swell the he plans to run for elected office.
The news of his imminent replacement came at Thursday's City Commission meeting, when commissioners also decided to delay a vote on a change to the city's election dates.
Speaking at the meeting, City Manager James Reyes clarified that Morales' replacement will be selected three months prior to his retirement to ensure a smooth transition during the changing of the guard.
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This follows a heated exchange at the previous meeting on Feb. 12, when Commissioner Ralph Rosado accused Morales of campaigning on the job for Rosado's seat. The commissioner claimed he spoke to "a dozen unrelated individuals" who said Morales was going to run for the District 4 Commission seat in 2027, which Rosado currently holds and plans to run for again. Rosado claimed Morales was being "dishonest" and wanted him removed immediately.
Morales denied the allegations of campaigning while on the clock at his city job — which pays him $350,000 a year — but said he was open to the possibility of running once he retires.
At this Thursday's meeting, Commissioner Miguel Gabela asked for clarification as to the timeline and process for selecting a new police chief. Reyes said a transition process will begin in July, and Morales' replacement will be chosen and appointed before then. While the City Manager may select a candidate for chief, that person must be confirmed by a vote of the City Commission.
Morales was promoted to Chief of Police in 2021 after the high-profile ouster of former Chief Art Acevedo.
Acevedo was pushed out after reports that the police department was run by a "Cuban Mafia." Morales, then an Assistant Chief, was made the interim head of the department and then appointed as the permanent chief. At Morales' swearing-in ceremony, then-Commissioner Joe Carollo played the musical theme from the Godfather films on his phone.
Elections
One of the other notable items on Thursday's commission agenda was a resolution to move the upcoming mayoral election from November of 2029 to August of 2028. Sponsored by Mayor Eileen Higgins, the resolution would effectively reduce her term by one year and change mayoral elections moving forward to even years with the goal of increasing voter turnout.
" I think we should be on the election cycle of the entire rest of the county, the entire rest of the state, the entire rest of the federal government. It saves us money, it saves us work," Higgins said from the dais.
The item was met with some pushback from residents speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, as well as from commissioners on the dais. While many were in support of even-year elections, some expressed concern over holding elections in August instead of November, arguing the city would still have low voter turnout as more people vote in general elections than during August primaries.
Higgins made the case for her proposal saying holding mayoral elections in August would allow for runoff races to take place in November, thus saving taxpayer dollars by removing the need for December runoffs.
Commissioners ultimately decided to defer the item to a later meeting. If approved by the commission, a ballot item will go to voters this August. The deadline for all ballot questions to be submitted to the Supervisor of Elections is May 22.
