New deputy county administrator is ‘the perfect fit,’ Manatee officials say

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to confirm John Osborne as deputy county administrator Tuesday morning.

Osborne has served in a number of roles in his 25-year career, including long-range urban planning, environmental management and as the planning director with Manatee County government, according to a press release. Commissioner Carol Whitmore said his wide-ranging expertise makes him “the perfect fit.”

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh added that his experience makes him an ideal role model for others.

“You are the type of man who will be a great asset to Cheri at this point and I’m so happy that you’re coming in because you’re the image we need for deputy county administrators,” she said. “You’re just above reproach.”

Osborne welcomed the Urban Land Institute study in 2013, and in 2015, implemented the County’s How Will We Grow? plan. More recently, he has been in charge of the impact fees and strategic planning. He is also a Florida Army National Guard veteran and a current member of the U.S. Army’s Individual Ready Reserve.

While Osborne’s promotion was heralded by all, Commissioner Betsy Benac warned that the upward mobility of county staff to fill empty positions is still leaving open slots elsewhere.

“It’s wonderful that we’re moving people up and they’re people with experience, but we’re getting spread thin,” Benac pointed out. “When we move people up into vacancies, we still have vacancies, and it’s unrealistic to expect with everything that we have going on that we’re not going to have to look at acquiring some new talent.”

Osborne’s appointment is effective immediately.

This story was originally published March 12, 2019 at 2:09 PM.