about my county st johns county florida

Yesterday, I posed a question about Commissioner Joseph’s comments related to the County Administrator contract.  I asked, “What could possibly be so pressing to need to discuss how to oust an Administrator at the same time the contract is being approved?” 

That question continues to puzzle me. Everything about the discussion during that agenda item puzzles me to the point where I am concerned about what might be behind Commissioner Joseph’s and many of the public’s comments.

Commissioner Joseph began her remarks by saying “I asked Brandon Patty (Clerk of Courts) to come back because there is something in the contract that I don’t know if everyone overlooked but the only way to remove a County Administrator is a 4-1 vote.”

Besides the rudeness of bringing up firing someone at the same time that their contract is up for approval, why would she bring that up at that particular moment?  To delve into the fact that the State says a majority vote is needed to terminate an Administrator, while the County ordinance requires a super-majority (majority plus 1) means she must have had a reason to go searching for that discrepancy.  Why would that be?

Commissioner Joseph has publicly endorsed both Ann-Marie Evans and Ann Taylor, candidates for Commissioner in District 1 and 5.  Both of their websites proudly carry the Commissioner’s endorsement.

If these candidates win the election, Commissioner Joseph will have created a majority on the Board of Commissioners with a platform to slow development.  But why would that majority need a different County Administrator, and who would that be?

Perhaps this is a good time to discuss the role of the County Administrator. By nature, County government changes regularly.  Commissioners are elected by the people, work together during their 4-year term of office to develop policy for the County, and make decisions regarding the safety, health and quality of life for residents.

The fluid nature of County government, with commissioners coming and going, could easily wreak havoc on County systems and processes.  The Florida statutes, however, have prescribed two safeguards for County systems and processes to ensure continuity of vital services.  First is the Comprehensive Plan which prescribes land use, transportation, housing, infrastructure and other important elements that keep the County running effectively.

The second safeguard is through effective leadership – the County Administrator.  It would be a mistake to discount the impact of strong leadership on the County and think that just anyone can walk into that role and be successful.

Particularly as the County grows in scope and complexity, those staff members who are experts in their fields need vision and leadership to make the daily decisions they are called on to make.  A planner or an engineer, with multiple accreditations behind their names, have authority to make decisions on items within their scope.  But do they make the right decisions?

That is the job of leadership – the County Administrator – to establish the vision and expectations and hold staff accountable for not just delivering, but also for educating the public about issues important to quality of life.  That is a huge job requiring deep experience, extensive knowledge and the ability to build strong relationships up, down and across the County.  The qualifications specified in County Ordinance 201-47 speak to the depth and breadth of qualifications.

After a national search, the Commissioners selected a County Administrator who meets those qualifications, and more.  Not only does she have the requisite experience, but much of that experience is inside St Johns County.  The relationships and knowledgebase are already established, and the County has been more visible, transparent and active since she assumed the role of Administrator than I have seen in the 10 years I have lived in the County.

I am still puzzled. Why would a new set of Commissioners want to change out the Administrator?