1 month ago Share Former Sarasota Commissioner Charles Hines is not a slam dunk as other candidates come into the picture.
EDIT:
This article originally said Karen Stewart will serve as acting administrator through March 9. The motion passed by commissioners appointed her through March 23. The article has been changed to correct this error.
Manatee County Commissioners voted 6-1 to execute a separation agreement with Administrator Cheri Coryea on Tuesday, paving the way for a search for a new administrator.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy earlier had made a motion to keep Coryea for at least a year to prove she can move the county forward but that motion was denied 4-3.
Manatee County scheduled road projects
44th Avenue East
Projected cost: $101,304,276
Estimated completion: Dec. 2029
Moccasin Wallow Road
What: Three-segment plan to widen from two lanes to four or six, depending on the segment, from U.S. Route 301 to U.S. Route 41
Projected cost: $42,226,247
Estimated completion: Dec. 2025
What: Reconstruction of Verna Bethany Road to align with Verna Road at State Road 70
Projected cost: $2,519,682
Estimated completion: Dec. 2023
Manatee County commissioners have stated their desire to make road construction a top priority in the next year.
However, they said deciding which projects come first and how to pay for those projects is more difficult.
Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea steps down under pressure
Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea stepped down under pressure Tuesday afternoon, offering to leave the post after weeks of criticism from a majority of commissioners who had signaled they were prepared to fire her.
The vote to accept the county administrator’s separation agreement was delayed by a final attempt to keep Coryea by Commissioner Reggie Bellamy, who made a motion to discontinue discussion about a separation agreement and to give Coryea a year so that the current board can evaluate her.
That motion was denied in a 4-3 vote, with commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse, Vanessa Baugh and James Satcher voting against the motion.
1 month ago Share Vanessa Baugh’s handling of the pop-up vaccine clinic might just be what the Manatee County commissioners needed to get on track.
Disruption is hard. Often messy. Full of strife and stress.
Especially in politics.
The metaphorical daggers, snippy barbs and disrespect come out. And the new gang in charge is prone to rookie mistakes, mistakes that make the Old Guard say to voters, “See, we told you those people weren’t up to the job.”
This is what Manatee County citizens have been watching ever since the November elections. A new majority took control of the Manatee County Commission, with three of the four in the group being elected for the first time Commissioners George Kruse, Kevin Ostenbridge and James Satcher.