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STAFF REACTS: Paul McIntosh's departure brings out regret in some, indifference in others.
By JENNIFER FARRELL, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 20, 2002
BROOKSVILLE -- As is often the case with bosses, employees either loved County Administrator Paul McIntosh, or, well, they didn't.
On Tuesday, his hurried exit from Hernando County government drew mixed response from the people who worked with him.
The general consensus seemed to be at least partial regret, if not for McIntosh's departure, then for what it means for the county, which now adds finding a new administrator to a long list of ongoing projects.
"I don't know really what to say," said purchasing director Jim Gantt. "It's unfortunate that we're in the position that we're in, but we just have to carry on and do the best we can for the citizens of this county."
Gantt had clashed with McIntosh in the past. He and Clerk of the Circuit Court Karen Nicolai, who oversees county finances, questioned whether McIntosh improperly contracted with an Orlando-based consultant hired last year to help protect water resources. Eventually, county commissioners asked the State Attorney's Office to investigate whether anything illegal occurred. Last month, prosecutors announced they found nothing improper.
But controversy continued to dog McIntosh. In an opinion released Tuesday, the county Legal Department found he should have reported accepting gifts, including a free round of golf at Black Diamond from Jim Kimbrough, chief executive officer and chairman of SunTrust Banks/Nature Coast and a luxury seat at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game paid for by Oak Hill Hospital.
Reached Tuesday afternoon, Nicolai reacted to McIntosh's farewell "with some regret."
"I think he had some really good qualities," she said. "I don't think he was as detail-oriented as he should have been."
During McIntosh's tenure, Nicolai said, county staff fell on one side of a clear line: With him, or not included.
"There wasn't a group atmosphere," she said. "It wouldn't lead to teamwork, that's for sure."
Last week, as the Times prepared to publish a report on gifts McIntosh had not previously disclosed, then-Deputy Administrator Dick Radacky called the newspaper to defend his boss.
"He's a good guy," Radacky said. "He's overseeing a $200-million budget."
Radacky, who was appointed interim administrator on Tuesday, went on to praise McIntosh's integrity. "He works hard, and he tries to do things right. I just know that he wouldn't take anything to benefit himself."
On Tuesday, Human Resources Department director Barbara Dupre continued her longstanding support of McIntosh.
"Obviously, I think he was a good administrator," Dupre said. "I hope we're fortunate enough to find someone else with his knowledge and experience and open mind."
Dupre dismissed reports that staff morale has suffered under McIntosh.
"Morale was not low before," she said. "I really don't know what effect this will have."
For Lauretta Dorn, a deputy clerk in Nicolai's office, news of the administrator's leaving wasn't earth-shattering. Despite working in the county government center, she had not watched the televised commission meeting on Tuesday or heard any scuttlebutt afterward.
"Did he exit today? I hadn't listened," she said after work. "I was so busy I didn't have it on."
On the way to the parking lot, a co-worker overheard Dorn's comments and asked whom she was talking about.
"The big shot upstairs," said Dorn. "Adios."
-- Jennifer Farrell can be reached at 848-1432. Send e-mail to farrell@sptimes.com.
Hernando County will spend about $65,300 for County Administrator Paul McIntosh's resignation, significantly less than the county's legal advisers said it might cost to fire him and then fight him in court. Here's how the settlement package breaks down:
Six months' salary -- $50,700
Leave payout -- $9,000
Insurance -- $3,600
Legal fees -- $2,000
Total -- $65,300
The insurance coverage expires after six months or after McIntosh gets a new job, which ever comes first.
-- Source: Hernando County Human Resources Department