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Highlands Today

County To Discuss Wright's Draft Contract

AT COMMISSION MEETING

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: May 5, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County Commissioner Don Bates feels confident the county will get the right deal to get Mike Wright.

Wright, currently an assistant city manger in Tallahassee, was the unanimous choice of the five county commissioners to replace retiring Carl Cool as the county's top executive.

Today, at the county commissioners meeting, Bates will reveal the draft proposal of the contract drawn up to hire Wright as county administrator.

On Monday, Bates said he wouldn't reveal the tentative contract offer until Tuesday's commission meeting. The commissioners must vote to approve the contract offer before it can be sent to Wright.

About the starting salary that will be offered, Bates would only say, "Mr. Baenziger is making $145,000 now for the city of Tallahassee, so I think it would be likely that we would offer at least that amount.
"At least, that is traditionally how something like this has been handled."

The commissioners designated Bates as one of the three people who will negotiate a contract with Wright. Also working on the contract negotiations are Ross Macbeth, the county's attorney, and Colin Baenziger, the consultant assisting in the search for Cool's replacement.

Baenziger and Bates both predicted that contract negotiations with Wright should be wrapped up quickly and relatively easily.

Wright appears eager to come to Highlands County, possibly in time to start in early June, following Cool's retirement on May 31 after 17 years as the county's top official, according to Baenziger and Bates.

If Wright is offered at least the $145,000 he's making per year now or a little more, that will be substantially above Cool's salary of $129,629. It also will be near the top of the county's new salary range for administrator, which goes up to a maximum of $160,000.

Baenziger said he doesn't think the salary or any other part of the contract will present a major stumbling block in getting a contract that Wright will approve.

One major benefit of coming to Highlands County for Wright will be having a much more lucrative retirement package than he has with the city of Tallahassee, Baenziger said.

Baenziger has advised county officials on every step in the process of picking Cool's successor, from advertising for applicants to weeding the candidates down to the five finalists. More than 60 people from nearly a dozen states applied for the job.

Wright, who graduated from Florida State University in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in criminology, has worked at eight jobs as a manager in city or county government since 1976, mostly within Florida. He has served in city or county government management in:

Port St. Joe, Fla.; Hartselle, Ala.; Marianna, Fla.; Indian River County; Hot Springs, Ark.; Clearwater; West Palm Beach; and, since 1999, Tallahassee, where he is assistant city manager in charge of development and transportation.

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