Palm Beach County Commissioners slammed the brakes last week on county Clerk and Comptroller Joe Abruzzo’s potential ascent to the top county administrative job.
The commission’s decision to carve out realistic criteria and give candidates 30 days to apply came after news stories heaped derision on its decision a week earlier to open the $400,000-a-year job for less than a week with no minimum qualifications.
Punctuating that coverage was The Palm Beach Post’s revelation that, like Stet’s coverage, indicated some of the biggest developers in the county were openly banking on new county leadership after the departure of longtime Administrator Verdenia Baker on May 31.
“We now see some changes at the county that are going to be very encouraging,” The Post quoted Related Ross President Ken Himmel as saying at a March 12 groundbreaking.
“I was at a presentation yesterday with a tourism group and I said, ‘Watch what happens after June 1. Things are going to finally open up,’” The Post reported that Himmel said.
READ MORE: Palm Beach County commissioners aim to limit criteria in new administrator search
Additionally, Related Group and BH Group, partners in a proposed Transit Village downtown, cited Baker’s retirement in a court filing to explain why the developers’ dispute over the value of county land may soon be resolved, The Post reported.
Since Abruzzo has never been a city or county administrator and has only a bachelor’s degree, he would have benefited from looser standards and no national competition.
Commissioner Marci Woodward told Stet News last week that in lobbying for that approach, former Commissioner Mack Bernard put it starkly: Support is building for two candidates, Abruzzo or Deputy County Administrator Patrick Rutter.
Stet’s story linked Bernard’s involvement through his employer, Cornerstone Solutions, to Related Ross and Related Group.
The initial push for a quick, local search that would have given Abruzzo an advantage — led by Commissioner Bobby Powell and supported by Commissioners Sara Baxter, Maria Sachs and Joel Flores — called for the new administrator to be selected by May 22.
But after a week of criticism, Flores’ position shifted during Thursday’s three-hour discussion. He joined with Mayor Maria Marino and Commissioners Marci Woodward and Gregg Weiss in giving preference to candidates with master’s degrees and allowing candidates 30 days to apply.
The job posting, with a salary range of $341,403 to $477,669, went out last week seeking this level of experience:
- “A bachelor’s degree is required or the equivalent experience; a degree in public or business administration, finance, economics, engineering or a similar field is preferred, as is a master’s degree.
- “Additionally, the candidate should have at least 10 years of executive level management experience preferably as a county/city manager, deputy/assistant manager, or executive leader in an organization of similar structure, size and complexity with progressively responsible experience preferred; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience.”
What’s next? Applicants can send a letter of intent and their resume to CtyAdmRecruitment@pbc.gov by 5 pm April 28.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
