Tradition works well in Palm Beach County, especially in selecting a county administrator. It’s worked out well in choosing Bob Weisman and Verdenia Baker. It should work in selecting Patrick Rutter, the current deputy county administrator whose title and more importantly county government experience gives him a leg up for the top job.
If there was ever a post where the inside track is almost a necessity, it’s the job of county administrator. Palm Beach County is Florida’s fourth most populous county and still growing. It’s the state’s largest in land size, stretching from its affluent communities along either side of the Atlantic Intracoastal to the rural areas dotting Lake Okeechobee.
The county is fortunate in having four finalists with various strengths. County Clerk & Comptroller Joseph Abruzzo, a former state legislator and Keith Clinkscales, the county’s director of strategic planning and performance management, are good communicators. While Isamí C. Ayala-Collazo, one of the four assistant county administrators who is an engineer, lawyer with two doctorate degrees, remains a strong internal applicant for the county’s top job.
We believe Rutter is still the best choice. He has the experience and obvious qualifications that earned him the No. 2 spot under Baker. That post put him in a unique leadership position in working with the county administrator, commissioners, staff and leaders of the 40 municipalities in implementing key county government initiatives. It is a knowledge base and experience that shouldn’t be overlooked or dismissed in choosing the next county administrator.
The next administrator must prioritize the taxpayer
Palm Beach County doesn’t need an administrator who will play politician to appease various interests, or worse, simply be a puppet for developers. It was clear during Baker’s final days as the county’s chief executive that she had incurred the wrath of the developer community who too often try to bend the land-use ordinances, rules and regulations to their benefit. It’s comes with the territory of a growing county, and the next administrator will have to manage it.
Take the Transit Village lawsuit in which a Miami-based developer is disputing how much it should pay the county for a six-acre parcel in West Palm Beach. ln 2012, the developer agreed to buy the land around the Tri-Rail station for $3.6 million. The county nixed the deal after learning the land was worth $36 million. In a recent court filing, the developer stated that Baker’s retirement could lead to a settlement. Whose interests will the next county administrator represent?
We were skeptical of the ongoing selection process, hoping that the commission would instead conduct a national search for Baker’s replacement. While they backed off an even more truncated method, that seemed to favor one candidate — Abruzzo — this one did manage to include public input and a series of interviews that is expected to culminate in the county commission making a final selection later today.
Palm Beach County remains a vibrant county and an attractive place to live, work and play. It’s 7,000-plus workforce includes some of the best in the public sector, and its AAA bond rating puts it among a small but elite group. This is no time for on-the-job training. The next administrator must be an experienced and knowledgeable manager who knows the ins and outs of a government entity that rivals any Fortune 500 company.
We believe that person is Rutter, and urge commissioners to do the right thing for all the residents and taxpayers of Palm Beach County by choosing him as the next county administrator.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Commissioners, do the right thing: Pick Patrick Rutter for PBC administrator | Editorial
Reporting by Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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