Charles Hines pulls name out of running for Manatee’s interim county administrator spot
As the Manatee Board of County Commissioners continues to consider candidates, former Sarasota County commissioner Charles Hines has removed himself from the running for the acting county administrator position.
In a Thursday evening letter to commissioners, Hines said the newly proposed contract that the Manatee County Commission is aiming for no longer meets his needs. He previously agreed to hold the position for about eight months but the board recently signaled a desire to hire an interim administrator for a full year.
“It appears now that the Board is seeking an agreement with a one-year term and to have a person in the role of acting administrator who would also apply to become the permanent administrator,” Hines wrote. “This is a totally different proposal than the one for which I was approached to fill and hold while I assisted the Board in finding a permanent administrator.”
The letter comes after an extended meeting on Tuesday that saw the board part ways with former county administrator Cheri Coryea and appoint Deputy County Administrator Karen Stewart to fill the role for up to a month while they continue searching for interim applicants.
Hines had previously won the board’s approval for County Attorney Bill Clague to begin negotiating with him, but once the contract came up for a vote, most commissioners said there were aspects that they didn’t agree with, pointing to a clause that would require Hines to continue receiving pay until November even if the board found a permanent county administrator sooner, as well as a monthly housing allowance of up to $2,500.
After listening to commissioners discuss the issue Tuesday evening, Hines said it became apparent that the board is more interested in applicants who are also interested in permanently filling the position — something he believes would be a conflict of interest.
“I believe a conflict would exist for me to hold the acting position with the intent or possibility of applying to become the permanent administrator, while at the same time being tasked by the Board to assist in conducting a national search for someone who may be my replacement,” Hines wrote.
Stewart will serve as acting county administrator until March 23, unless a new interim applicant is chosen before then. In the meantime, board members are expected to meet with a handful of candidates who have pitched their names into the running, including former Manatee School District superintendent Rick Mills and current School Board member Scott Hopes.
The effort to oust Coryea was led by commissioners James Satcher, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Vanessa Baugh and George Kruse. While those four commissioners who voted in support of terminating Coryea’s contract agreed that it’s time for the county administration to institute more conservative policies, they don’t yet agree on who should take her place for now.
On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to have Clague come up with a form contract for board consideration at the March 4 Land Use Meeting. During their next regular meeting on Tuesday, March 9, the board is expected to select one of the interim applicants to help conduct a search for the permanent administrator.
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 3:44 PM.
