Harmer tells County Commission he's Longboat-bound

County Administrator Tom Harmer said Wednesday he has accepted Longboat Key’s offer to become its new town manager, pending Town Commission approval.

The Longboat Key Town Commission is expected to discuss the contract at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday. 

“It has been an extremely difficult decision for me,” Harmer told the County Commission on Wednesday.

“It has been an honor to serve Sarasota County and our citizens these past five years,” Harmer said. “I am most proud of the customer service provided by our employees and the culture we have worked to create within our organization.”

Harmer is the latest in a line of several Sarasota County employees who have left their positions to work for Longboat Key — a fact that didn’t go unnoticed at the County Commission meeting.

“I’m trying to think of punishments for Longboat Key,” Commissioner Nancy Detert said. “They keep taking our best and brightest, and I’m not taking kindly to that.”

Other Longboat Key converts include former Sarasota County Public Works Director Isaac Brown, who in May ended his 17-year career with the county to become Longboat Key’s public works director. Retiring Longboat Key Town Manager Dave Bullock himself was a deputy administrator for Sarasota County for 14 years before accepting the Longboat Key job in 2011.

“I think Longboat Key is extremely smart,” Commissioner Mike Moran said Wednesday. “I’m just sorry it’s at our expense.”

County Commissioner Nancy Detert called Harmer “one of the best” she’s ever worked with, praised his ability to keep things calm and noted his lack of ego.

“So you’ve ruined my life,” she concluded. “That’s all I’m saying … It’s just a crying shame.”

 Longboat Key's Town Commission, in opening the search for Bullock's replacement, stressed the importance of hiring a candidate who understood the intricacies and nuances of overseeing business on Longboat. Harmer, 59, called the town’s interest “unsolicited and unexpected.”

Shortly after the commission approved Bullock to pursue Harmer, Longboat Key’s Assistant Town Manager Mike Hein expressed interest in the job. Bullock hired Hein in 2016. Hein has more than 25 years experience in public service, including a four-year stint as city manager of Tucson, Ariz.

Harmer has more than 30 years' experience in local government, including eight spent as city manager of Titusville, adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s east coast. He has been county administrator for Sarasota since 2014.

At the regular Longboat Key Town Commission meeting Monday, commissioners will give their recommendation to Bullock to hire Harmer or not.

Bullock is set to retire in January 2018. Harmer told commissioners he would remain on as county administrator until December, “to help provide a smooth transition, if that occurs.”

If approved, county commissioners will have less than six months to find Harmer’s replacement. They won’t decide on the formal process for that until the commission reconvenes after recess in August.

Harmer has been with Sarasota County government since 2012, coming to the deputy administrator position from the private sector. He became county administrator in 2014. Harmer has more than 30 years in local government, including eight as city manager of Titusville, adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s east coast. He previously served as that city’s fire chief and emergency manager. He held similar roles in Tallahassee. 

Harmer’s and Bullock’s time with the county did not overlap.

Bullock's salary with the town is $181,688. Harmer makes $207,625, which is about 14.3% more.