By TOM McLAUGHLIN / Daily News
Published: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 at 20:45 PM.
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — The Florida Association of Counties has provided Walton County with a list of 11 candidates it believes would work well as an administrator. A group of regional managers who agreed to help a seemingly star-crossed county find its fifth county administrator in four years met Wednesday to pare a list of 37 candidates, interim County Administrator Gerry Demers said.
County Commissioner Cindy Meadows confirmed a list of 11 candidates had been forwarded to the county at the end of the work day. She said she had not seen the list as of early Wednesday evening.
Among those in contention going into Wednesday‘s meeting was Larry Jones, a former Walton commissioner who earlier this year finished third for the job. Ted Lakey, who finished second, also was in the running Wednesday.
Demers said it is his opinion that Jones would be eligible for the job despite being hired in April to be Walton County’s special projects coordinator. The county’s handbook states employees cannot transfer positions before the end of a six-month probationary period.
Demers said the county administrator position, one of three in which the job holder reports directly to the County Commission, would not necessarily be subject to all aspects of the employee handbook.
In a letter to the Daily News, an organization calling itself Citizens for a Better Government voiced criticism of Jones’ candidacy because of the handbook’s restriction on transfers. “It is certainly not right when some employees have to abide by rules and others do not,” the letter said. “The people of Walton County are sick to the core of the good ‘ole boys making the rules as they go.” Walton’s next county administrator will replace Robert Halfhill, who took the job March 1 and resigned April 2.
Halfhill cited family issues for leaving, but there were reports of complaints from four women about his behavior.
Interim County Attorney Mark Davis still is investigating those complaints, Demers said. Davis did not return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment.
Jones and Lakey, who also applied for the Okaloosa County administrator’s post earlier this year, weren’t the only two who took advantage of a second chance to apply for the Walton job. Lyndon Bonner, who worked as a city manager in North Miami Beach from 2011 until 2012, was among the 37 in the running Wednesday.
When Chris Holley, executive director of the Florida Association of Counties, discussed his organization’s offer to help Walton County find an administrator, he spoke of trying to ensure that candidates from Florida would get strong consideration.
Of the 37 still in the running Wednesday, at least 13 were Florida residents. Several candidates chose not to disclose their home city and state, citing state law.
Halfhill, whose tenure as county administrator was short even by Walton County standards, replaced Greg Kisela, who was fired in June 2012 after a year in the job.
Kisela replaced Lyle Siegler, who lasted two years after stepping into the job after Ronnie Bell retired in July 2009.
Published: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 at 20:45 PM.
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — The Florida Association of Counties has provided Walton County with a list of 11 candidates it believes would work well as an administrator. A group of regional managers who agreed to help a seemingly star-crossed county find its fifth county administrator in four years met Wednesday to pare a list of 37 candidates, interim County Administrator Gerry Demers said.
County Commissioner Cindy Meadows confirmed a list of 11 candidates had been forwarded to the county at the end of the work day. She said she had not seen the list as of early Wednesday evening.
Among those in contention going into Wednesday‘s meeting was Larry Jones, a former Walton commissioner who earlier this year finished third for the job. Ted Lakey, who finished second, also was in the running Wednesday.
Demers said it is his opinion that Jones would be eligible for the job despite being hired in April to be Walton County’s special projects coordinator. The county’s handbook states employees cannot transfer positions before the end of a six-month probationary period.
Demers said the county administrator position, one of three in which the job holder reports directly to the County Commission, would not necessarily be subject to all aspects of the employee handbook.
In a letter to the Daily News, an organization calling itself Citizens for a Better Government voiced criticism of Jones’ candidacy because of the handbook’s restriction on transfers. “It is certainly not right when some employees have to abide by rules and others do not,” the letter said. “The people of Walton County are sick to the core of the good ‘ole boys making the rules as they go.” Walton’s next county administrator will replace Robert Halfhill, who took the job March 1 and resigned April 2.
Halfhill cited family issues for leaving, but there were reports of complaints from four women about his behavior.
Interim County Attorney Mark Davis still is investigating those complaints, Demers said. Davis did not return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment.
Jones and Lakey, who also applied for the Okaloosa County administrator’s post earlier this year, weren’t the only two who took advantage of a second chance to apply for the Walton job. Lyndon Bonner, who worked as a city manager in North Miami Beach from 2011 until 2012, was among the 37 in the running Wednesday.
When Chris Holley, executive director of the Florida Association of Counties, discussed his organization’s offer to help Walton County find an administrator, he spoke of trying to ensure that candidates from Florida would get strong consideration.
Of the 37 still in the running Wednesday, at least 13 were Florida residents. Several candidates chose not to disclose their home city and state, citing state law.
Halfhill, whose tenure as county administrator was short even by Walton County standards, replaced Greg Kisela, who was fired in June 2012 after a year in the job.
Kisela replaced Lyle Siegler, who lasted two years after stepping into the job after Ronnie Bell retired in July 2009.
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