INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners thinks it might have that specially talented person to replace County Administrator Joe Baird already on the payroll, but commissioners are also not opposed to casting a wider net.
Commissioner Bob Solari started the discussion Tuesday, noting that Baird will be retiring on June 30, as a provision of the Florida Retirement System delayed retirement option plan, and it could take some time to fill such a key position.
“Now is the time, if we are going to have some kind of external search,” Solari said.
Baird, who announced in February that he would not be renewing his current three-year contract, was promoted from within.
After graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in accounting, Baird started out in 1981 in the Indian River County Clerk of Court’s office as an accountant. He also worked in the Utilities Department, then shifted over to become the Director of Management and Budget, then Assistant County Administrator and eventually County Administrator in 2004.
Commissioner Joe Flescher praised Baird for navigating the county through recession challenges and maintaining fiscal discipline. Flescher said Indian River County is very unique and that he values the institutional knowledge of the existing employees above anything an outside person could bring to the table.
Chairman Wesley Davis reviewed recent hires and promotions, saying that the County has done well in efforts to hire talented people both from within and from without.
He noted County Attorney Dylan Reingold, who came from the City of Jacksonville, and Utilities Director Vincent Burke, who came from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute as great picks, while people like Planning and Development Director Stan Boling and Public Works Director Chris Mora have excelled in their positions, being promoted within their departments.
At the end of the discussion, commissioners decided to look within first, to see who might be interested, and then to consider options for a wider search that does not involve a costly head-hunter.
To provide for an adequate transition, it was the consensus of the Board that the goal start date for the new person should be May 1. Baird’s total compensation package tops $200,000 per year with benefits, taking into account his experience and long-time service.
