Board dynamics play into Manatee County administrator choice

With less than three weeks on the job as acting Manatee County administrator, Charlie Bishop was asked by commissioners Aug. 22 if he would be willing to apply to become the permanent administrator. 

Bishop, a longtime county employee who hadn’t applied for the position when the commissioners started the national search in May, said the Aug. 1 addition of Ray Turner to the board (in place of a retiring Vanessa Baugh) prompted him to apply and accept being a finalist for the job. 

“The makeup of the board has changed in the last months with the addition of Commissioner (Ray) Turner,” Bishop said. "It’s a different direction, a different mindset. I just felt it was appropriate for me to enter. I believe Commissioner Turner is bringing a new aspect and vision to the county, along with the chair (Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge) and the second-in-charge, Commissioner (Mike) Rahn. It’s a great team, and I want to be here to help them.”

Although Bishop didn’t apply for the position or meet with the public like the other finalists for the search, he said he felt it was fair for him to be included as a surprise finalist and ultimately chosen as the administrator. 

“I was qualified,” Bishop said. “I was fortunate to be with all the candidates and I measured myself up against them and I felt I was just as worthy. Being with the county for 22 years now, I just felt I was ingrained and knew a lot (about the county), which (the other candidates) didn’t have the ability to offer.”

Bishop joined the county in 2001. He has served as a project manager, facilities services manager, infrastructure division manager, construction services division manager and the director of property management for Manatee County. In 2021, he was named deputy county administrator. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

At-large Commissioner George Kruse was the only commissioner to vote against approving Bishop as administrator. He said commissioners told residents and county staff they would hire someone from outside the county, and the commission should have kept its word. 

“I felt this county needed somebody from outside, this county needed a fresh view,” Kruse said. “I understand the concept of promoting from within, but there’s also a concept of the Peter Principle that eventually you get promoted to a point of incompetence. I’m not saying that’s the case for Charlie, but that’s the risk.”

Kruse said Bishop was excellent as a deputy county administrator and he didn’t have any personal issues with him, but Bishop wasn’t the type of person he expected as county administrator. 

From the start of the national search, Kruse said he was looking for someone who wasn't necessarily an expert in any specific department but rather an expert in human resources who could see the bigger picture of the county and hire the best directors for each department and allow them to do their jobs. 

Rahn, Van Ostenbridge, and Commissioner Amanda Ballard said their original intent was to vote for someone outside of the county, but they were impressed by Bishop’s performance during his very short term as interim administrator. Bishop was appointed interim Aug. 3. 

As interim administrator, Van Ostenbridge said Bishop communicated well with staff and commissioners and led the county through Hurricane Idalia. 

“I wasn’t blown away by the candidates that were brought to us,” Van Ostenbridge said. “I did pick a top five (candidates), but of the top five, I didn’t feel any of them rose to the level that I was looking for in the county administrator. Charlie Bishop sort of got a little bit of an unfair advantage when he got the best job interview you could ask for, which was for a period of time, he got the job.”

It was the second consecutive time commissioners selected an administrator after promising residents, and then not using, a job search to identify the best candidates. Commissioners ditched a search in May 2021 when they changed gears and hired acting administrator Scott Hopes for the full-time job.

This time, public records show that Manatee County made payments of $16,000 and $11,000 to Colin Baenziger and Associates in relation to conducting the search for an administrator.

Turner said he also was planning to vote for someone outside the county, but once he found out Bishop was interested in the permanent role, his vote shifted.

Kruse said six weeks as interim administrator was too brief a period to judge how Bishop could do moving forward as the permanent administrator.

 “He didn’t even have an opportunity to do anything as a county administrator, other than kind of sit there and hold down the fort because we were required to have somebody in that position by Florida statute,” he said.

Photo by Liz Ramos

As the administrator, Bishop said he wants to bring stability to county staff, which has been under the leadership of four administrators and acting administrators since Cheri Coryea was fired in 2021. 

“I want the employees to know I have their back, I have their ear,” Bishop said. “I want to help them succeed, but I know it takes a village.”

He said he is considering relocating departments, such as Animal Services and transit, under new leadership. 

But primarily, he wants to fill out his team with “qualified individuals that have the same goals and passions” as him. 

Commissioners would like Bishop to consider hiring Andrew Butterfield, the other administrator finalist, to a post with the county. Bishop said he would consider Butterfield as he’s “very likeable, energetic” and will bring a “great team oriented aspect” to his staff.