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Tough Job to Hold on
To
Right Person to
Head Controversial CRA Emerges According to City Commissioners,
but He May Be Unable to Stay on the Job
“The CRA has a track record that’s, let’s say, not very
nice.”
By Ryan Brown
History has
been unkind to the Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni
Community Redevelopment Agency, but might have hope in a man
named James Villacorta.
The CRA was
created in April 1995 to revitalize some of the most blighted
areas in the city of Miami, but quickly became an icon for
corruption and recklessness when an independent audit in 2002
turned up disastrous record-keeping and questionable use of
funds. Even the FBI got involved, sealing off buildings and
protecting subpoenaed documents.
 “The
CRA has a track record that’s, let’s say, not very nice,”
says Commissioner Tomas Regalado, adding, “The turning point
began with Frank Rollason (right). He brought stability and
transparency to the CRA.”
Months before
Rollason was appointed CRA head in November 2002, Villacorta, a
soft-spoken assistant city attorney, was brought in to help
auditors sift through, and make sense of, the piles of CRA
records.
“There was a
lot going on,” says Villacorta. “This was when [former District
5 Commissioner Art] Teele was being investigated by the state
and U.S. attorney.”
When Rollason
left his post as executive director of the CRA this year to run
for a seat on the City Commission, Villacorta filled his seat,
which he now holds as “interim executive director.”
City of Miami
commissioners unanimously agree that Villacorta is well
qualified for the job.
This position,
it seems, is a difficult one to hold.
“Prior to Frank
[Rollason], no one lasted past six months,” says Villacorta.
“I really
respect [Villacorta’s] desire to work in a fast track way to
rehab old buildings in Overtown,” Regalado told the SunPost.
“I’m behind him 100 percent.”
Commissioner
Marc Sarnoff noted at a recent commission meeting that
Villacorta is the only person able to clearly explain some of
the complex legal issues the CRA deals with.
Despite the
enthusiasm for Villacorta’s presence as CRA head, the agency
decided to spend thousands of dollars advertising the position
and calling for resumés.
“Only 12 were
qualified. Only four of those were any good,” says Villacorta.
At the CRA’s
Dec. 18 meeting, the commissioners present (Sarnoff, Michelle
Spence-Jones and Regalado) agreed that Villacorta should be
offered the executive director position full-time.
The problem is
that Villacorta is still technically employed by City Attorney
Jorge Fernandez’s office and, according to Villacorta, Fernandez
doesn’t want to let him stay with the CRA.
“He’s basically
saying, ‘If you stay [at the CRA] you’ll no longer have a job
here [in the City Attorney’s Office],’” says Villacorta.
This means
Villacorta would no longer be a city employee and would lose
benefits like medical coverage.
“We’re looking
for a way to fix that,” says Regalado.
City Attorney
Jorge Fernandez had no comment, except to say, “I owe it to my
colleague to let him tell me what he wants to do.”
Comments?
E-mail letters@miamisunpost.com. |
