Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker’s departure is more than a year away, but commissioners are taking the first step to hire her replacement.
Baker announced earlier this year that she would not seek to renew her contract, which expires in July 2017.
On May 10, commissioners received five proposals from headhunter firms seeking to find the next county administrator.
Two companies are headquartered in Florida; the others are in Minnesota, Texas and Illinois.
The search for a hiring consultant didn’t bear much fruit, said Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.
“I was a little disappointed we didn’t get more than five,” Schrader said. “It is what it is.”
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore initially suggested that commissioners rank their preferences, and then invite the top three candidates to make presentations.
Instead, invitations will be sent to representatives of all five firms to attend the June 9 commission meeting at 1:30 p.m.
Each applicant will have 30 minutes for a presentation, plus time to answer questions from commissioners.
Schrader dismissed a suggestion that commissioners use Skype to hear from consultants with long distances to travel.
“If they want the job, I want them to stand right in front of me,” he said.
The firms that applied to recruit a new county administrator are: Colin Baenziger & Associates, in Palm Beach County; GovHR USA, in Northbrook, Illinois; Strategic Government Resources, in Keller, Texas; Waters & Company, in St. Paul, Minnesota; and S. Renee Narloch & Associates, in Tallahassee.
Published May 18, 2016
