Alina Hudak, Miami Beach’s city manager who spearheaded the city’s crackdown on spring break, announced her resignation on Thursday. NBC6’s Jamie Guirola reports
Alina Hudak, Miami Beach's city manager who spearheaded the city’s crackdown on spring break, announced her resignation on Thursday.
According to a memo submitted to city officials, Hudak will remain on staff until June 26. In her resignation letter, she touted her successes but did not mention why she is leaving early.
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“It has been one of my greatest career achievements to serve as the City Manager of this beautiful, historic and global destination,” she wrote.
Hudak was hired by Miami Beach in April 2021 and became the first woman to ever run the City of Miami Beach.
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As city manager, Hudak acts like a CEO, overseeing the city’s day-to-day operations, $1 billion budget, and more than 2,000 employees.
This year, she spearheaded the city’s efforts to control spring break, which included the viral marketing campaign, “Miami Beach is Breaking Up with Spring Break.” The crackdown brought about strict measures and restrictions to curb the violence the city has seen in previous years.
The city now has to look for a new manager. Commissioner Alex Fernandez praised Hudak for her work on Thursday.
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"It leaves a big void in our organization losing a top-tier, top-class city manager who is leaving our city safer, cleaner, and in fiscally sound condition," Fernandez said.
In December, newly elected Commissioner David Suarez wanted to terminate Hudak’s contract because they didn’t share the same vision for the city.
"I certainly thank Mrs. Hudak for her service, and right now, in my opinion, is that I'm turning a page on Miami Beach and we are going to be looking for the best possible city manager," Suarez said on Thursday.
Hudak makes a base salary of $320,000 and a $10,000 vehicle allowance.
“I am proud to leave a City that is financially sound and in the best position it has been in a long time,” she wrote in her resignation letter.
Miami Beach hailed its campaign to "break up" with spring break as a success, with Hudak leading the charge. The city is known to attract large, chaotic spring break crowds. Last year, two deadly shootings and nearly 500 arrests caused the city to issue a state of emergency and impose a curfew on the weekends that followed.
Since then, city officials warned residents, visitors, and businesses that a curfew would be in effect during spring break this year. The 11:59 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew was only in place for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, from March 15-18. The curfew was taken to court in a legal hearing that weekend as three nightclubs — M2, Mynt Lounge and Exchange — alleged that the curfew was negatively impacting business,
The court decided to uphold the curfew. The city of Miami Beach said in a statement that it was pleased with the court's decision and that the city has gone to great lengths to ensure public safety and discourage large crowds.
Hudak is one of a list of departures from Miami Beach since the city elected its new mayor Steven Meiner. Her chief of staff, the chief city attorney, a building official, parking director and the fire chief are also resigning.
She denied NBC6's requests for an interview on Thursday.
Read Hudak’s resignation letter below.
