Port St. Lucie City Manager Russ Blackburn received glowing reviews from all five City Council members for his second year at the helm of the booming city of 190,000 residents.
The council voted unanimously on Feb. 25 to approve a 3 percent raise for Blackburn for the current budget year, bringing his annual salary up to $205,138.
The council also voted unanimously to provide Blackburn with a $500 per month car allowance and the same benefits package upgrades as the city’s other non-union workers.
Mayor Gregory Oravec said he believes Blackburn has the ability to help make Port St. Lucie a great city.
“Your professionalism, stability and your sense of honor really stand out and make you special,” Oravec told Blackburn. “Good is not good enough for the City of Port St. Lucie. We should really set our sights on being great. I think we can get there provided you continue to build the team.”
Oravec called on Blackburn to boost the city staff’s sense of urgency to get things done in the upcoming year and improve the management of city projects.
Oravec and the other council members praised Blackburn for staying calm last year when several long-term economic development initiatives went bad and for earning the respect of people from all walks of life.
Several council members also praised Blackburn for taking a proactive approach to solving problems and improving the city’s public image.
“It’s truly an honor to work with you every single day,” Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo told Blackburn. “I have watched things that I have thought, ‘oh, my gosh, this is going to be crazy’ come up, and you have dealt with it so even-keeled and so gracefully. It’s truly an inspiration to watch at times.”
Councilman John Carvelli credited Blackburn with treating city money as if it were his own.
Blackburn, 65, who became city manager in November 2016, appears to have stabilized a position that has been in flux since 2010 when longtime City Manager Don Cooper resigned.
Blackburn succeeded Jeff Bremer, who left in September 2016 after a falling out with Oravec. Bremer had replaced Oravec, who served as city manager until February 2013 when he negotiated a severance package with the council.
In the meantime, Oravec has been elected mayor twice and Bremer has been hired as assistant county administrator in St. Lucie County.
Oravec became city manager after the council fired Cooper’s successor, Jerry Bentrott, in March 2012.
“We’ve had a good year, a lot of positive movement in our organization and improvements in our community,” Blackburn told the council. “I feel very good about where we’re headed.”
