Sarasota County may lose another administrator

In what could continue the shakeup of Sarasota County’s executive team, Pasco County commissioners yesterday chose Assistant County Administrator Mark Cunningham as a finalist to replace Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Pasco County Commission yesterday narrowed its search for a new administrator to five, including Cunningham. Joining Sarasota County in 2012, he now oversees community service departments, which include emergency services, libraries and historical resources and parks, recreation and natural resources, among others.

Pasco County executive recruiting consultant Mark J. Morien called Cunningham “a future star with unlimited potential,” according to the Tampa Bay Times article.

Pasco Public Information Officer Doug Tobin confirmed Cunningham was on the list of five finalists.

The move came the same day Sarasota County Administrator Tom Harmer announced the conditional hiring of North Port City Manager Jonathan Lewis to replace Assistant County Administrator Jonathan Evans, who plans to take a position managing the city of Riviera Beach.

That means if Pasco County chooses Cunningham, half of Sarasota County’s four-person administrative team — which includes Deputy County Administrator Steve Botelho — will be new to the position.

Sarasota County spokesman Drew Winchester declined to comment on how this will affect the county’s leadership team, noting it was premature given Cunningham hasn’t officially been chosen for the position. Cunningham also declined to comment.