Scott Farrington takes over as Manatee supervisor of elections

Former Chief of Staff Scott Farrington will return to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office Jan. 7. 

This time, Farrington will be in charge, following his victory over current SOE James Satcher in the primary election and write-in candidate Thomas Dell in the general election.

Farrington was recommended for the position by former SOE Mike Bennett before he retired in March. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed former District 1 Commissioner James Satcher instead. 

Satcher took office on April 12. Since then, he increased the budget by $841,340, hired and fired employees, made major software and equipment purchases, repainted the office and made plans to open two new satellite offices. 

Farrington, who resigned when Satcher was appointed, could only sit on the sidelines and watch.

“Elections are what I’ve known pretty much my whole career,” Farrington said. “In some ways (not being involved after his resignation) has been harder than being in the office, to sit out and feel like I’m twiddling my thumbs.” 

Farrington was asked if he will undo everything Satcher did.

"It’s not quite that simple," he said.

Because Farrington has been out of the office, he’s not privy to what contracts Satcher has signed. 

Until he sits down at his desk, Farrington won’t know what can be undone and what can’t be. 

“I know (Satcher) bought some stuff, some of it being software, that I don’t think can be returned,” Farrington said. “He had originally intended to open a remote office in Lakewood Ranch. He obviously didn’t do it, but how far he got down that road, I don’t know.” 

As for the four employees that Satcher fired following the primaries, Farrington said that anyone who wishes to return is welcome, but two of the workers were seasonal, so they wouldn’t be needed until the next election cycle.

The two full time employees were Mark Darnell and Chris Palmer. Darnell is moving out of state, and Palmer now works as an accounts payable clerk at the courthouse. 

Palmer said she is happy with her new job. She’s not thinking ahead to January at this point, but she does have some bigger concerns about the office in general. 

“I think (Farrington) is going to walk into a mess,” she said. “I’m more concerned that he can fix whatever is broken. That’s the most important thing.” 

Palmer said she has been in touch with current employees who have said they’re working until midnight and later, which Palmer called “unusual.” 

Even if she doesn’t return to the office, she’s “ecstatic” that Farrington was elected to the position. 

“I was concerned about having an honest person with a lot of integrity in office,” she said. “And I believe we got that (with Farrington).”

Satcher also hired two new employees to fill the chief of staff and IT positions, which had both been filled by Farrington when he worked for Bennett. 

Farrington doesn’t know if that will remain two separate positions or not, but he does know that he will not be able to perform as many duties as he did in the past. 

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it, but I also would be lying if I said I completely figured that out, too,” he said. 

During elections, the SOE has to sit on the canvassing board. So Farrington can’t just up and leave every time there’s an issue as he could as the No. 2 under Bennett.

Satcher’s equipment purchase is a much more cut and dry issue because Farrington said the prior tabulating machines were nearing the end of their life. 

He would’ve held off on buying the audit machines because the version Satcher purchased had only been certified in June 2023, but he said a large purchase request for equipment would’ve gone before the commission within the next year anyway. 

However, it most likely wouldn’t have been all within one request. But since it’s already been approved, Farrington sees an “opportunity” to spend it over the next few years. 

“I would be shocked if we weren’t going to give some money back because there’s no way, with what (Satcher) intended to do with it, he could’ve spent it all,” Farrington said. “But at the same time, I have no idea how much or what that’s going to look like.”

If funds are leftover at the end of the fiscal year, which is Sept. 30 in Manatee County, constitutional offices are required to return the leftover money to the county. 

Bennett was known for running a fiscally tight ship, and Farrington said he has the same mindset. He said he has no intention of “blowing up the budget” just because he could get away with it. 

He’s also gained a new perspective having been a candidate. 

“I was out at a lot of different precincts and saw and heard some things that gave me some education and reason to evaluate some of our precincts,” Farrington said. “There were lines in some places. I have some ideas, but I’ll be looking at what caused those lines."