Sarasota County Procurement head resigns

Mike Thiele resigned yesterday after nearly ten months as Sarasota County Procurement Official, said a news release from Sarasota County.

Thiele was appointed as head of the purchasing department on Aug. 29, months after a four-year procurement scandal came to light resulting in 10 Sarasota County employees losing their jobs.

Deputy County Administrator Bill Little will double as Interim Procurement Official while the county searches for a new purchasing department leader. Little did the same before the county hired Thiele.

The procurement department has seen maelstrom of employee and practice changes after the procurement scandal. One example is the new online procurement site for vendors called eProcure, which went live on May 21.

“The staff change emphasizes the county's commitment to additional integrity and transparency in the procurement operation, along with the need to institute, enforce and follow the new professional procurement process being implemented by the county,” Reid said in a news release.

Reid or Little could not be reached for comment.