PBC commission averts questionable "fix" in replacing county administrator

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28-03-2025

What started off as a perceived "fix" morphed into a a credible procedure in replacing County Administrator Verdenia Baker, who is retiring. Following an eyebrow-raising 4-3 vote earlier this month to skirt a national search, Palm Beach County commissioners Thursday took the time to craft a national search, minimal and preferred qualifications and a timeline for applications, interviews and evaluations that ensures a more open, competitive and thorough hiring process.
It's closer to the kind of process that the residents and taxpayers of this county deserve.
And it's a notable improvement from an earlier meeting in which a majority of the board — Commissioners Sara Baxter, Joel Flores, Bobby Powell and Maria Sachs — voted to set aside hiring a firm to conduct a national search in favor of an expedited "stay home," approach of finding a new administrator. That move seemed to boost the chances of one applicant in particular — County Clerk & Comptroller Joe Abruzzo — and quite rightly drew the ire of county residents.
Still, the Post Editorial Board believes that a national search conducted by a headhunter would have ensured a better talent pool of candidates based on that firm's knowledge and contacts with qualified candidates. As it is, commissioners settled on having staff advertise the opening on various public administration association websites, a way to get the word out but not necessarily in front of those "elite" administrators who may not seek the job without the urging of a reputable headhunter.
To be sure, Abruzzo is no stranger to Palm Beach County and its government. He's a duly elected constitutional officer and has represented the county in the Florida Legislature. But had the commissioners not spelled out a more thorough hiring process, he would have been seen as the tainted beneficiary of a political appointment. And deservedly so. Besides the commission and the public, it's Abruzzo who'd benefit by going through a more open process to replace Baker, a 38-year administrator respected nationally for her bureaucratic acumen.
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Fortunately, the commission took a step toward bringing rationality back to the process while dispelling the notion that Baker's successor could be found so easily through a political appointment. Baker started working for the county 38 years ago as an analyst. She worked hard, climbing the ranks to become the first woman and the first Black person to run Palm Beach County government. In that position, she oversaw growth, often siding with taxpayers against the interests of developers, while achieving the county's current AAA bond rating. Her last day is May 31.
Baker's successor will have big shoes to fill. The good news is that county commissioners have moved closer to a transparent process that whoever gets the position, it now looks like that individual will be hired through an open procedure rather than a backroom deal that would have hobbled the next county administrator even before he or she showed up to work.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Transparency to pick new PBC administrator is right move | Editorial