Commissioners Shoot Down Valentino’s Plan To Name Interim Administrator

December 17, 2009

Moments after voting to not renew the contract of County Administrator Bob McLaughlin, Commissioner Gene Valentino asked his fellow Escambia County Commissioners to name his recommendation as an interim administrator.

Valentino made the motion this morning that Larry Newsom  serve as the new interim county administrator as an at-will employee until a permanent administrator is named.  Valentino wanted Newsom to serve as the interim administrator and in his current position of director of transportation concurrently, saving the county $83,000.

“This is a slap in the face as far as I am concerned,” Commissioner Marie Young said, scolding Valentino. “It looks like is preplanned.”

“It is not a slap in the face to anybody…There is no likelihood of getting a good administrator prior to November of 2010,” Valentino said, because of the possitilbity of  voters approving a government consolidation plan in November 2010.

Valentino’s motion failed due to a lack of second from any other commissioner. Commissioner will discuss a possible replacement for McLaughlin at their January 7 meeting.

Comments

3 Responses to “Commissioners Shoot Down Valentino’s Plan To Name Interim Administrator”

  1. interested reader on December 18th, 2009 4:08 pm

    Sorry William, I didn’t mean to “start” anything. Seems like the other commisioners agreed with me since there was no second.

  2. Walter on December 18th, 2009 10:01 am

    AND SO IT STARTS.

  3. interested reader on December 17th, 2009 1:02 pm

    Sorry, but one can see the handwriting on the wall. Valentine is hoping to put his man in place now so when election time comes around we will already have someone there. Newsom may be a great candidate but it’s not a great idea to throw the name in the hat on the night you vote out the current administrator.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News