Nobody seemed pleased – more like placated – last week as Pat Bean managed to cling to the job she has held for the last six years as Hillsborough County Administrator. The one that involves more than 5,000 employees and a $3 billion budget. The one that increasingly requires sophisticated, out-of-the-box, regional thinking. The one that shouldn’t have to tolerate ham-handed approaches to budget deficits. The one that almost nobody thinks she’s good enough at.
But to paraphrase James Carville, it’s about the salary, stupid.
By any measure except bond rating, Bean, 64, was not bargaining from strength. Not when most commissioners, among others, question her priorities, judgment, vision, initiative, leadership and innovation instincts. But they also know that the timing couldn’t be worse for taxpayers having to cough up Bean’s annual salary ($226,000) if she is fired. (Accrued vacation and sick-leave time would bring her severance package to more than $400,000.) Bean’s contract expires at the end of 2011.
The blatantly begged question, even in these turbulent economic times: But can the commissioners afford to keep her? There’s never been a greater premium put on the skill set of the County Administrator.
Finally, this was obviously not about pride – or Bean would have resigned rather than face further ridicule. The Commissioners ultimately decided to treat her like an intern. By next month, she has to prepare a list of goals and measurable objectives. She also had to write: “I will no longer be Exhibit A for dysfunctional county government” 100 times on a government-issue white board. Her evaluations will be quarterly – not annually.
In the end, it seemed that square one was being revisited when it came to the public’s perception of county government. “It’s critically important for them (elected commissioners) that they set the vision,” said Bean. “It’s not my job to set the vision.”
If you’re looking for a winner here, it would probably be the push for county mayor.