Delve into 12: Town Manager: Bullock

The Longboat Key Town Commission has a decision to make by Sept. 15, 2012: Extend David Bullock’s one-year town manager contract or choose another candidate for the position.

But, for now, it’s clear that Bullock is the commission’s likely choice for long-term town manager.

After 14-year Town Manager Bruce St. Denis resigned in September, the commission reached consensus to move forward with a plan outlined in a letter by Mayor Jim Brown for the town-manager selection process: Appoint a town department head to serve as acting town manager for a couple days or weeks. Then, appoint an interim town manager to serve for six to eight months while beginning a national search to find a long-term replacement. The commission directed town attorney David Persson to begin the interim search process and appointed Longboat Key Police Chief Hogle as acting town manager. Less than two weeks later, Persson made a suggestion to the commission: Bullock, who was in his 14th year as Sarasota County deputy administrator and had worked for the county since 1994.

On Oct. 3, the commission approved a one-year contract with a $180,000 salary for Bullock. But they also heard from approximately a dozen residents who worried about the speed of the selection process. Several wondered why Hogle wasn’t being offered the position. At the time, Brown stressed that the commission would consider other candidates for the long-term position. But he said that the town needed to appoint an interim manager sooner rather than later to “get the town out of the turmoil that it’s in right now.”

In his first two months on the job, Bullock has garnered praise from commissioners for studying up on the big issues such as beach renourishment and pension plans. He’s also gotten praise for working on the smaller issues such as working to fix the screeching microphones at Longboat Key Town Hall.

“From the perspective of this commissioner, his ability to latch onto the intricacies of complex issues has been quite impressive,” Vice Mayor David Brenner said.

Mayor Jim Brown agreed.

“So far, I think he’s done a wonderful job,” he said.

Brown admitted mid-December that the town is currently unlikely to advertise the town manager position. Instead, Bullock will receive quarterly reviews from the commission and will likely have his contract extended at some point before Sept. 15 if he continues to impress commissioners with his performance.

“Right now, I’d say it’s probably his job to lose,” Brown said.

Commissioner Lynn Larson, who expressed concerns about the selection process in October and suggested a contract of six months rather than one year, described Bullock as a “real asset” to the town and said that a long-term contract was likely.

“The contract is laid out to be a permanent position,” she said. “But, in this case, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

Bullock has spent his first two months on the job learning from citizens. He keeps a list of the names of citizens with whom he has met. As of Jan. 3, 2012, the list included 66 names. While Bullock has impressed commissioners with his homework on issues, the new town manager has also been impressed with citizens’ knowledge of key issues. He points to a utility study that resident Lenny Landau has been working on for the town and beach-renourishment data compiled by Commissioner Phillip Younger. Pointing to Younger’s chart, he said with a smile:

“This is like having a whole other level to staff.”

As for whether he wants the position in the long-term, Bullock said that he has never considered a job short term.

“I’ve never had any job that you’re just a caretaker at it,” he said. “You get 100%.”

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