Miami city manager announces staff promotions

As he prepares to step aside next month, Miami City Manager Carlos Migoya announced the promotion of key deputies Tuesday in moves that could presage who is likely to replace him at the helm of City Hall.

The changes are intended to leave an administrative structure in place for when Migoya leaves his post Dec. 31, said Mayor Tomás Regalado, who plans to reveal his choice to replace Migoya at a Dec. 16 city commission meeting.

Migoya promoted Tony Crapp Jr., the chief of operations and assistant city manager, to deputy city manager. Replacing Crapp will be Luis Cabrera, the deputy chief of police -- prompting a domino effect at the Miami police department.

``What Carlos is trying to do is help us in creating an executive team so the new manager will have a very smooth transition,'' Regalado said.

At Regalado's request, Migoya, whose entire career had been as a banker, took the city's top job without a salary in February to shore up the city's sinking finances. He has been preparing his exit since commissioners signed off on Miami's budget in September.

His handoff plan involves bringing back the deputy city manager position -- giving Crapp oversight of all of Miami's departments except police, fire, and equal opportunity and diversity.

Crapp, 37, has been with the city since 1996, when then-Commissioner Regalado hired him as a legislative assistant. He eventually became Regalado's chief of staff before joining the administration earlier this year to manage a slew of departments, including solid waste, parks and grants.

``The transition to the administration really helped me to see both sides, the policymaking side and the administrative side,'' said Crapp, adding that his $140,000-a-year salary will remain the same.

Crapp will be replaced by Cabrera, who was a police department lieutenant in charge of employee relations before he was appointed to the deputy chief post in December as part of a leadership shake-up when Chief Miguel Exposito took over the department.

Exposito promoted Cabrera along with nearly 20 other officers.

Cabrera will remain a sworn police officer, and his $163,343.35 salary will stay unchanged, said Regalado. The mayor has known Cabrera since he was a neighborhood resource officer in Regalado's Flagami commission district 12 years ago.

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