Miami Mayor\u00a0Eileen Higgins\u00a0has chosen a man familiar to Miami-Dade County voters to run the city\u2019s day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s tapping Miami-Dade Chief of Public Safety\u00a0James Reyes\u00a0to serve as Miami\u2019s City Manager.<\/p>\n
If confirmed to the post \u2014 a decision\u00a0Higgins is asking<\/a>\u00a0the City Commission to make Jan. 8 \u2014 it would mark Reyes\u2019 fourth, and arguably loftiest, job title in as many years.<\/p>\n Higgins said in a statement Monday that Reyes is more than up to the task, citing Reyes\u2019 swift work \u2014 within just 11 months \u2014 bringing the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department under federal compliance for the first time in more than a decade.<\/p>\n \u201cJames Reyes brings the executive leadership skills essential to municipal management: fiscal accountability, process improvement, strategic planning, and the ability to develop high-performing teams,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHis servant leadership approach emphasizes transparency and empowering others to succeed. He shares my commitment to serving all Miami residents with respect and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n Reyes said he is \u201chonored\u201d and \u201cgrateful for the trust\u201d Higgins is giving him.<\/p>\n \u201cMy career in public service has been guided by a commitment to listening to our community, leading with integrity, and delivering results that make a real difference in people\u2019s daily lives,\u201d he said. \u201cI look forward to working with the City Commission through the confirmation process and helping deliver results for residents while restoring trust in City Hall through transparent, accountable leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n Miami Herald reporter\u00a0Tess Riski\u00a0was\u00a0first to report<\/a>\u00a0on Reyes\u2019 pending appointment Monday morning. The outlet\u2019s County Hall reporter,\u00a0Doug Hanks, first\u00a0flagged Higgins\u2019 memo<\/a>\u00a0shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n A longtime jail warden in Broward County, Reyes \u2014 whose legal first name is Jems \u2014\u00a0joined<\/a>\u00a0Miami-Dade Mayor\u00a0Daniella Levine Cava\u2019s\u00a0administration in January 2022 as Director of the county\u2019s Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. He previously spent 22 years with the Broward County Sheriff\u2019s Office, where he rose to the rank of colonel and joint posts as Executive Director of the Department of Administration and Department of Detention.<\/p>\n In November 2023, less than two months after then-Police Director\u00a0Freddy Ramirez\u00a0dropped out of the Miami-Dade Sheriff\u2019s race following a\u00a0failed suicide attempt<\/a>, Levine Cava \u2014 who supported Ramirez \u2014\u00a0promoted Reyes<\/a>\u00a0to a newly created Chief of Public Safety position. In that role, Reyes oversaw the county\u2019s Police, Fire Rescue and Corrections Departments.<\/p>\n Two and a half months later, Reyes\u00a0entered the county Sheriff\u2019s race<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0notched a Levine Cava endorsement<\/a>\u00a0the month after.<\/p>\n Higgins, Levine Cava and Reyes are all Democrats. All have long enlisted the services of influential political consultant\u00a0Christian Ulvert\u00a0and his Miami-based firm,\u00a0EDGE Communications<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reyes ultimately\u00a0placed second<\/a>\u00a0in the Sheriff\u2019s contest behind\u00a0Donald Trump-endorsed\u00a0Rosie Cordero-Stutz.<\/p>\n