Manatee administrator’s contract renewed despite concerns raised by clerk of court

(CORRECTION — This article originally reported that a motion was made to place Administrator Scott Hopes on unpaid leave while an investigation took place. It should have been "paid" leave.)

Manatee County commissioners voted 4-3 in favor of extending the contract of Administrator Scott Hopes May 24 after voting against a motion to place Hopes on paid leave while claims that have arisen about him by the county’s clerk could be investigated.

Commissioners George Kruse, Vanessa Baugh, James Satcher and Kevin Van Ostenbridge voted against placing Hopes on paid leave while Commissioners Carol Whitmore, Reggie Bellamy and Misty Servia voted in favor. The vote to extend Hopes’ contract went along the same lines.

Kruse questioned the necessity of investigating any of the items raised in a letter from Clerk Angel Colonesso, who said Hopes has been mismanaging staff and abusing his office by doing things such as the unauthorized use of a county vehicle for personal use.

“I am not up here arguing with the clerk," Kruse said. "I’m not here refuting what she believes within her letter. I'm arguing her letter, is, in and of itself, dictating her view of policy and not allegations that warrant any kind of true investigation.

“I think it is premature to completely disrupt this organization, and this county further, based solely upon an unsubstantiated two-and-a-half-page letter that came in 72 hours ago.”

Servia disagreed. 

“(The clerk of court) is charged with protecting the interests of the community, and she has the highest level of responsibility and diversity of functions of any elected official in Manatee County," Servia said. "So we must assume that the allegations that she has brought forward have some basis that require and deserve an investigation, unless there's evidence to the contrary.”

Hopes’ contract was extended with an increase of salary to $215,000 through September 2023.