Manatee County government needs a new, more conservative administrator | Opinion

Governing is not easy and I did not expect it to be. You don’t have to be involved in governing to realize that.

As a third-generation resident of Manatee County, I’ve been around and involved with our community my entire life. As a businessman, I’ve watched as Republicans in Name Only (RINOs) cleare a path for a career bureaucrat to push multiple tax hikes on residents, one of which was successful. They grew the size and scope of government faster than the county itself. They created fiefdoms, helped those in the know, and developed schemes like the sweet heart Lena Road land deal.

When former county administrator Ed Hunzeker lost at the ballot box, voters confirmed what I had suspected: They are sick and tired of these actions. While on the campaign trail I heard many of the the same complaints. Government had grown out of control. Taxes are getting too high. Raising a family in Manatee County is getting harder, not easier.

With this in mind I ran on a platform of less government, more transparency, lower taxes. I want to give our local government back to the people it was created to serve.

Every new administration should be permitted to choose its leadership. Joe Biden will not inherit Donald Trump’s staff or Cabinet (and rightly so). Staff needs to be beholden to the administration it serves. Make no mistake, the three newly elected commissioners, George Kruse, James Satcher and myself are a clear message from voters that it’s time for a change. There needs to be a new way of running government, with conservative solutions to decades-old problems.

I find our current county administrator to be a good person. However, she has been in government for over 30 years. She has been a cheerleader for the tax hikes; for the new departments and additional staff positions; for the massive spending spikes and for the lack of results in improvements to traffic congestion, localized flooding and water quality — especially in my district. I do appreciate and applaud her service but it’s time this new board, which is heading in a new direction, have someone at the helm that believes in a conservative ideology. The current administrator is not that person.

Many have become emotional over my motion to get our county staff on board with our new, more conservative tact. Names have been called. Insults have been hurled. This is not an emotional decision. Governing should never be based on emotional decision making. Governing should be about data and serving the people. In that vein, it is time our county staff better reflects the board they serve and that means a new leader at the helm.

I hope this explanation will help everyone to better understand how I came to this decision. I also hope that my calm presence and demeanor at the dais will help to restore civility and proper decorum during meetings. Voters have spoken and it is time we as leaders carry out their wishes.

Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge represents District 3 on the Manatee County Commission.

This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 3:53 PM.