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March 1 Is Target Date For Hiring County Boss

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By MICHAEL D. BATES, Hernando Today

Published: November 30, 2007

Updated: 11/29/2007 09:33 pm

BROOKSVILLE - The county hopes to have its new county administrator on board by March 1.

With the job deadline closed, 29 people have filed applications with the county expressing their desire to fill the shoes of Gary Kuhl, who left earlier this month for a new job. County Purchasing Director James Gantt is the only applicant in-house to apply.

Another familiar name is Fred Hays of Texas who recently applied for the vacant city manager post in Brooksville.

Hays made the short list but lost to Jennene Norman-Vacha.

Candidate backgrounds run the gamut from educators and consultants to businessmen and former government administrators.

Whoever gets the job will make around Kuhl's old salary of around $132,000, Human Resources Director Barbara Dupre said.

The recruiting committee plans to short-list the applicants down to a manageable 8-10 people by next week. The following week, initial telephone or in-person interviews will begin and a list of names will be sent to county commissioners.

Beginning in January, commissioners will conduct final interviews, make a selection and begin contract negotiations.

Kuhl resigned Nov. 10 to begin his new job as Sumter County public works director.

Kuhl said a negative community atmosphere contributed to his decision to leave his post after a year-and-a-half.

Deputy County Administrator Larry Jennings is serving as interim administrator until Kuhl's replacement is hired.

County Commissioner Diane Rowden said she is "keeping an eye" on the selection process.

"I want to make sure the selection is based on the needs of the community," Rowden said.

In October, Rowden blasted the administrator recruiting plan proposed by Dupre.

At that time, Dupre presented three options to the board, one of which was the selection of a five-person committee that would vet the applicants and ultimately present them for review to the commission.

Dupre came up with the names for the committee: Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher, Oak Hill CEO Mickey Smith, Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pat Crowley, and businessmen John Ehlenbeck and Sam Shreves.
Rowden said having Dupre involved in the recruiting process was a conflict of interest and said Dupre has a vested interest in not only picking the members of the selection committee but also who ultimately gets picked.
Rowden instead asked her colleagues to handle the recruitment process themselves. Commissioners, she said, make the "big bucks" to make the big decisions.

Commissioner disagreed with Rowden and approved Dupre's selection committee option 4-1.

County Commissioner Dave Russell said the preponderance of applicants hailing from the Miami-Dade area of South Florida is indicative of the soft economy in that part of the state.

The Miami area was hit hard by layoffs, Russell said.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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