Pasco Seeking Help to Replace Gallagher
Commissioners will hear presentations from firms that want to help locate candidates to fill retiring County Administrator John Gallagher’s job.
As Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher prepares for life beyond government work, commissioners are searching for a suitable replacement.
And, considering Gallagher spent more than three decades in Pasco County government, they’ve decided they need a little help.
In December, the county solicited proposals from firms that want to help Pasco find a new administrator. Now commissioners want to hear presentations from four of those firms on how they propose to conduct the search.
Commissioners will get their chance next Tuesday, Jan. 29, when the top firms in the proposal process are being asked to give presentations before the board during a workshop. The presentations will start at 1:30 p.m. inside the boardroom at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.
Gallagher announced his intentions to retire late last year. He plans to leave sometime in late April or early May, shortly after he celebrates 31 years in the post, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Gallagher’s lengthy tenure has earned him the honor of being the longest-serving county administrator in Florida’s history, the Times reported.
Filling Gallagher’s post won’t be easy, commissioners acknowledge and they know that they’ll need community support to make the right choice.
“The majority of the board does want to engage the community in this process,” Commission Chairman Ted Schrader said during Tuesday, Jan. 22's commission meeting.
How community involvement in the process will shake out remains unclear at this point.
Stay with Patch for updates on the search for Gallagher’s replacement as they become available.
OK, Land O’ Lakes, what strengths would your ideal candidate bring to the table? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Clay G. Colson
4:09 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Everyone should ask themselves why would corporations want to "help" conduct the search for a new county administrator? More importantly why would the commission even entertain such a proposal? And finally aren't we the people the true stakeholders in this process? It is bad enough that our county has been ruined by Gallagher for the last 30 years (it takes 3 commissioners to trump a Gallagher) just look at the results: overdevelopment; gridlock on our major roads; SR56 w/o a standard interchange (on & off ramps instead of signals) now not possible because of CCTC, continued degradation of Cypress Creek a Outstanding Florida Waterway, also the degradation of the Anclote & Pithlachascotee River Basins; destruction of our rural ambience & quality of life; gated communities evcerywhere causing traffic gridlock; strip malls lining major roadways, ZERO planning, the goals, policies & objectives of our comprehensive plan still not codified in laws, regulations or ordinance as required by law for the last 30 years, etc., etc., etc.. Gallagher once told me his vision for the future of Pasco was a bigger & better Pinellas ... what is there about Pinellas that shoould be reproduced?
John Boy
8:06 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Thank God and Greyhound he gone! After almost sabotaging the proposed Wiregrass sports fields Pasco has had more than enough of him.
Sean Addison
6:59 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
This guy is hated by the firefighter community as well and has borderline blackmailed them and given them ultimatums on taking pay cuts. These are people saving lives and already being underpaid. This guy needs to be replaced asap. I thought this public position is one which you can be elected into? I'll run and replace him myself and get things done.