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County, City Administrators Deserve Strong Compensation Package

Highlands Today Staff

Published: January 16, 2008

Some people in Highlands County don't like hearing that to attract a top-level county administrator that the wages must be drastically higher than what's currently being paid. The truth, though, is that you get what you pay for.

Highlands County and our cities have gotten off light on what they pay administrators. Elsewhere across the United States, these are well compensated positions and for good reason. City and county administrators must juggle so many constituents, and try to make the most people happy while looking out for the well being of whatever entity they serve. Sometimes making people happy and doing what's best are impossible to balance.

Few people deal with the responsibility of being in charge of so many people, and being held accountable so publicly. We're blessed with quality service from the people we have in these jobs.

Many city managers and county administrators are gone after five years or so. They often don't leave because they did a bad job, though. In their professions they often make enemies over time, and it adds up. It's incredible to think how long Carl Cool and Bob Hoffman have served in their current positions and have done so at a high level.

A committee was formed to find Cool's replacement, and some are suggesting that to be on par with similar sized county governments, Highlands will have to offer tens of thousands more per year in compensation. That very well might be the case.

Some people believe that the perfect replacement might already be working for the county. That might be the case as well, and we can think of several very good candidates. If an internal candidate is found that fits the bill, the county needs to pay him or her a fair wage within the range for that position, not some low-ball figure.

If we are not willing to pay the industry average for counties are size and with the same demographics, we face the prospect of not finding the very best candidate for the job, and instead just make do. Highlands County residents deserve better than that.

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