Pinellas County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to permanently hire interim county administrator Mark Woodard for the job he’s been doing since April.
Woodard took over for former administrator Bob LaSala after he was fired in the spring.
There were about four-dozen nationwide applicants whose resumes will be chucked now that the county has agreed to enter into negotiations with Woodard.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Woodard has unparalleled knowledge of the county and knows what mistakes to avoid.
That would include those of his predecessor that led to high employee turnover and the alienation of officials from the county’s 24 municipalities.
Woodard has worked for the county since 1988. He most recently served as assistant county administrator under LaSala.
When commissioners chose Woodard as the interim administrator he declined a contract and instead only asked for an adjusted salary to reflect his increased job responsibilities.
Woodard’s previous salary as assistant administrator was $179,608. LaSala’s salary was about $225,000.
Negotiations for Woodard’s contract will likely include a similar salary as well as a car allowance.
