One by one, the City Council’s five members voted unanimously last week to remove the interim tag Sherri Philo has carried since July and make her Vero Beach’s 20th City Clerk.
“With honor, yes,” council newcomer Aaron Vos said. … “Absolutely,” added Councilman Taylor Dingle. … “Happily, yes,” closed Mayor John Cotugno.
The vote, which was taken a month late because the council did not hold a second December meeting during the Christmas holidays, was punctuated by applause across the dais and throughout the chamber.
Philo has worked for the city for 28 years – all in the clerk’s office – starting as a secretary and moving up to deputy clerk 17 years ago. She succeeds Tammy Bursick, who served as clerk for 34 years before retiring last summer after nearly four decades of employment at City Hall. “Sherri is a competent professional,” City Manager Monte Falls said. “She has been with the city for many years and knows the clerk’s office inside and out. I can’t think of a better person to take the reins from Tammy.”
Although Philo has been running the clerk’s office since July 1, Bursick agreed to stay on through the end of 2024 – in a part-time role, occasionally working from home – to make sure her heir-apparent enjoyed a smooth transition, especially with a three-seat council election this past November.
The city also is engaged in several major projects, including the much-anticipated development of the Three Corners site, relocation of the city’s wastewater-treatment plant from the mainland’s waterfront to the airport and expansion of the municipal marina.
As a result, Bursick extended her last day to Jan. 31. “Tammy has helped lot – with meetings, keeping minutes, public-records requests …,” Philo said. “Any questions I had, she had the answer. And she was very supportive of me going to school to get the certifications I needed. I’ve been preparing for this opportunity for a while.”
Philo has earned Certified Municipal Clerk and Master Municipal Clerk designations through the Florida Association of City Clerks. As Vero Beach’s permanent City Clerk, she’ll receive an annual salary of $85,000, up from the $68,700 she was making as interim clerk.
