Liberty City theater named after colorful, controversial late commissioner

Photo courtesy The Miami Herald

Eight years after his death, the life of Arthur Teele remains celebrated by some in Miami. This past July, the city of Miami and District 5 commissioner, Michelle Spence-Jones, remembered Teele with a celebration at Charles Hadley Park.  This week, Spence-Jones dedicated Liberty City's black box theater at Charles Hadley Park in honor of Teele.

From Charles Rabin and The Miami Herald:

Only five weeks before the end of her second and final term in office, Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones followed through on a promise to her district: Naming the theater in Liberty City’s Charles Hadley Park after the late Arthur E. Teele, Jr.

“Today I wanted to do something publicly. We honor the late Arthur Teele,” said Spence-Jones.

The resolution to name the venue after the controversial former city commissioner passed 3-0, with votes from Spence-Jones, Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff and Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort, who once shared the dais with Teele. From now on the theater at 1300 NW 50th St. will be called the Arthur E. Teele Jr. Black Box Theater.  

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/26/3653183/liberty-city-theater-named-after.html#storylink=cpy

Effort to Recall Teele

Months into Art Teele's second term on the City of Miami commission, activists in District 5, led by Irby McKnight, began collecting signatures to recall Teele. By November 2002, activists collected over 5,000 signatures - enough to begin the recall process. However, by the end of February 2003, McKnight and the rest of the outraged constituents abandoned the recall effort. They felt if the recall went to a vote, Teele had more than enough supporters, especially from the religious community, to retain his seat. McKnight and fellow citizens believe their recall effort was the catalyst for the scrutiny of Teele's District 5 commission seat.

Below are the original flyers handed out as well as signatures.

Art Teele: City of Miami District 5 Commissioner in Pictures

From left: Johnny Winton, Art Teele, Mayor Manny Diaz, Tomas Regalado & Joe Sanchez

Art Teele and wife Stephanie Teele

Miami auditor Victor Igwe fired as contract expires

By Charles Rabin

City of Miami Auditor Victor Igwe was let go Monday after 12 years, with little explanation other than his contract had run out.

Igwe, 59, and a lightning rod of administrators over the years for uncovering the misdeeds of city workers, said four city higher-ups including Employee Relations Director Beverly Pruitt and Deputy City Manager Luis Cabrera, visited his office late Monday afternoon with a termination letter, and told him he had to leave. The letter, signed by Pruitt, said Igwe was being let go because the City Commission had taken no action since his contract ran out April 28.

It was shortly past that time when Igwe approached commissioners asking for a new contract, but was told instead Commissioner Frank Carollo would evaluate his compensation and report back to the city within 60 days. The two-month period ended Monday.

Pruitt “said she doesn’t have authority to keep paying me because the commission failed to take any action,” Igwe said.

Igwe’s final contract which he signed in 2007 – like the city clerk and the city attorney he signs four-year contracts – paid him a salary of $172,000 a year. It calls for a severance payout of six months if he’s fired, but it’s anything but automatic: The contract reads the payout can be considered, and it needs the approval of the City Commission. Igwe said he will likely seek legal counsel to determine if he’s due the payment.

Igwe has long been considered a thorn in the side of authority in Miami. He often wrote scathing audits, one over a decade ago that found the director of the Bayfront Park Trust was misusing city funds. He was jailed. Another audit found illegal payments from a city Community Redevelopment Agency, which eventually led to investigations involving former City Commissioner Arthur Teele Jr., who eventually killed himself in the lobby of The Miami Herald building.

Via Miami Herald