The City of Miami appeals a circuit court order granting a motion for temporary injunction sought by the Miami lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and its president (together, “F.O.P.”). The circuit court concluded that the City Manager could not, as a matter of law, invoke the “financial urgency” statute, section 447.4095, Florida Statutes (2012), without formal action or authorization by the Miami City Commission, and that the circuit court could address the question before F.O.P. exhausted its administrative remedies. The statute provides an expedited collective bargaining process when invoked, with an impasse resulting in prompt (and preemptive)
We conclude that the temporary injunction should be vacated because the requirements for such an injunction were not established.
F.O.P. asserts, and the trial court found as a matter of law, that irreparable harm may be presumed when the violation of an applicable law or ordinance is established, citing P.M. Realty & Investments, Inc. v. City of Tampa,
The collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) between the City and F.O.P. is subject to Chapter 447, Florida Statutes (2012). Section 447.4095 specifies that the “chief executive officer” of a public employer is to meet as soon as possible with the employees’ bargaining agent to negotiate the effect of “a financial urgency requiring modification of an agreement.” The statute does not require the chief executive officer’s legislative body to approve or authorize such an action, nor does the statute specify that the legislative body must formalize the underlying conclusion that a “financial urgency” is in effect.
Under section 15 of the City of Miami City Charter, the City Manager is the head of the administrative branch of the city government and is responsible for all units of the city government under the City Manager’s jurisdiction. Section 16 of the Charter grants the City Manager control over “all departments and divisions” of the City. Under those sections, the City Manager (or the City Manager’s designee) executes contracts and other instruments.
Under section 2.1 of the CBA, the City Manager (or his designee) is the representative of the City for purposes of collective bargaining negotiations. As a matter of law, then, F.O.P.’s argument that the City Manager’s invocation of financial urgency was ultra vires and void lacks any textual support in the pertinent ordinances and statutes.
Further, that dispute itself would be under the preemptive administrative jurisdiction of PERC rather than the initial jurisdiction of the circuit court. And finally, the public employer is not required to prove the existence of financial urgency before invoking the statutory process for modifying the CBA. Manatee Educ. Ass’n., FEA, AFT (Local 3821), AFL-CIO v. Sch. Bd. of Manatee Cnty.,
F.O.P.’s brief and the trial court’s'temporary injunction assert that this element has been established because “it can never be a disservice to the public to require its government to observe the law” (citing Bentley v. State,
Our assessment of the availability of remedies and the likelihood of success does not pretermit the consideration of the issues by PERC should F.O.P. raise them there. Based on our review of the applicable legal authorities and the absence of any evidentiary record, however, we conclude that the order below must be vacated.
Reversed; order of August 20, 2012 vacated.
Notes
. Miami Ass’n. of Firefighters Local 587 v. City of Miami,
. Upon the City’s motion, this appeal was expedited for briefing and argument. We entered an order vacating the injunction on
. §§ 447.504, 120.68, Fla. Stat. (2012).
. We also deny the F.O.P.'s motion to dismiss this appeal. We conclude from our review of the pertinent ordinances that the City Manager and City Attorney's office had and have the requisite authority to commence and prosecute this appeal.
