Manatee County has a new acting county administrator as Washington steps down
Manatee County commissioners named Charles Bishop as an acting county administrator during a special meeting, a news release said Thursday.
Bishop replaces Lee Washington, who resigned for personal reasons, the release said.
“Mr. Washington stepped up when we asked and did the job,” Manatee County Commission chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge said in the release. “And thank you, Charlie, for stepping up to serve the county as well.”
Bishop is a retired United States Air Force veteran with a master’s degree in public administration.
He has worked as a project manager, facilities service manager, infrastructure division manager, construction services division manager and director of property management for Manatee County.
In August 2021, Bishop was named a deputy county administrator.
“I’m honored and I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Bishop said in the news release. “I want to thank (Deputy Administrator) Courtney de Pol, too. This is a team effort.”
Washington was named acting county administrator in February after Scott Hopes resigned from the position less than two years as the leader of Manatee’s government operations.
Commissioners complimented Hopes upon his sudden departure for “his leadership during the Piney Point crisis and Hurricane Ian, and administering the changes board members wanted to see in how the government operates,” according to a previous Herald report.
In March, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation to determine whether Hopes violated public records laws in his final days of employment, a previous Herald report said.
Hopes is now CEO of Aerovanti, a private air service which has made headlines recently for being embroiled in lawsuits. Customers paid at least $150,000 for flights and have yet to set foot on a plane, The Business Observer reported.
This story was originally published August 3, 2023 at 11:19 AM.
