The St. Lucie County Commission will have a lot to talk about at its July 7 meeting, as County Administrator George Landry abruptly announced his resignation June 19. He’s stepping down in August.
Landry, who was appointed county administrator in 2023, was hired as named town manager for the town of Longboat Key, by the the Town Commission June 22. Landry will begin work there Sept. 14.
“It was out of nowhere, but I was not surprised,” County Commissioner Cathy Townsend told TCPalm. “I felt he had been looking for the past six months to a year.”
Conduct a national search?
Townsend wants St. Lucie County to conduct a national search “to see what is out there,” she said. “We need someone with the right experience.”
“I would like to hire someone as soon as possible,” Townsend said.
St. Lucie County looks for new administrator
Landry will stay with county through August, which will get the county mostly through its budget season, Townsend said.
Should the county wait to conduct its search?
For commissioners James Clasby and Larry Leet, it’s too early to discuss how to find a replacement for Landry. Instead, they want to see how the statewide proposal for property-tax reform fares with voters before making decisions on a new county administrator.
Both Clasby and Leet, though, said they support naming Deputy County Administrator Mayte Santamaria interim administrator. Santamaria has been with the county since 2018.
Landry announced his resignation as the county enters hurricane and budget seasons. Local governments will spend the next several months working on their annual operating and-improvement budgets for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.
Landry has worked for St. Lucie County since 2013. He previously was both the Public Utilities and Solid Waste director and the former Human Resources and Risk manager. He retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years, earning two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Columbia Southern University in Alabama.
The Longboat Key Town Commission approved his contract, setting his salary at $255,000 annually, a slight decrease from the $275,000 he currently makes, said Town Manager Howard Tipton — who preceded Landry as St. Lucie County administrator before leaving for the Longboat Key job on Sept. 30, 2023 — and who recommended him for the job.
Tipton, who notified his town commissioners in April he would be retiring from Longboat Key because of health concerns, told TCPalm he offered the town commissioners to help with a search or to find his replacement, as had been done in the past. The commission asked him to find a replacement.
Tipton’s last day in Longboat Key is Sept. 14, after which he plans to return to St. Lucie County, where he still maintains a home.
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment and fisheries reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: How will this Florida county find its new administrator?
Reporting by Timothy O’Hara, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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By Timothy O'Hara, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
