Miami Taps New City Manager

MIAMI (CBS4) - Miami has a new City Manager.

On Thursday Mayor Tomas Regalado appointed Deputy City Manager Tony Crapp Jr. as the new City Manager, a moved that was unanimously approved by the City Commission.

Political pot watchers say the move was not unexpected.

Regalado has had a falling out of sorts with Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito who replaced John Timoney last year. There have been complaints from some residents about too little police presence on the streets, a video of Miami police officers who appear to be pummeling a person in Coconut Grove and there have four fatal police involved shootings on Exposito's watch. The chief has argued they can be traced, at least in part, to a crackdown on gang related violence that has threatened to overwhelm some city neighborhoods.

There are now whispers that Regalado now wants his original favorite, former deputy chief Luis Cabrera to have Exposito's job. The city manager makes the "hire or fire" call on the police chief's job and Crapp, Jr. is Regalado's former chief of staff.

Last Monday Exposito defended his leadership to CBS4′s Michael Williams.

"When the numbers are in you are going to see there is going to be an overall decline in crime during my watch even though we saved $4 million on overtime costs from the previous year and we are 35 officers shorter than we were the year before."

Several city commissioners also weighed in with are opinions. Commission chairman Marc Sarnoff said of Exposito, "This man is doing more with less and he is keeping our crime under where it was the previous year. I think he is doing a resounding job."

Commissioner Richard Dunn thinks Exposito is in "pretty good shape" but he wants more minority representation in the city's diverse neighborhoods.