Opinion: Spratt's fresh approach

As Miami-Dade assistant county manager, Steve Spratt had a reputation for being innovative, dedicated and unafraid to tell the truth to his bosses and the public. He has enhanced that reputation since arriving in Pinellas in December to take the top post in county government.

He came into the job at a tough time. The county, its budget already stretched thin, was suffering post-Sept. 11 declines in tourism-related revenues at the same time it needed to increase spending for security. Pinellas cities were squabbling with the county government over several issues, most important annexation, with some municipalities intent on gobbling big bites of county territory as quickly as possible. And Spratt had to fill the shoes of Fred Marquis, whose 22 years as county administrator had left county government so Fred-centered that changing its procedures was like trying to turn the Titanic on a dime.

But Spratt had been tested before: He was named Miami-Dade budget director soon after Hurricane Andrew hit, blowing that county's revenue base to smithereens. And though he had spent his entire career in Miami-Dade, Spratt had gained varied experiences as he rose from his first job there -- answering residents' nuisance complaints -- to assistant county manager.

His start in Pinellas has been impressive. He has a talent for sizing up people and situations quickly. He made it clear that he wants county government to be open and approachable, just as he is. He has a practical side that endears him to people irritated by lumbering bureaucracies. His streamlining already has reduced County Commission meetings from weekly to twice a month. "One of my primary motivations is solving complex problems and making government work better for people," he says, and most of those who have watched him take on Pinellas County government the last seven months believe him.

But foresight and creativity may turn out to be his greatest assets. He quickly realized, for example, that aggressive annexations by cities were threatening the county tax base, and he has moved on several fronts to meet that threat. He has begun tackling the county's revenue problems with a mix of creativity and toughness, for the first time giving county department heads a target number they had to hit in drawing up their budget requests, ferreting out ways the county wastes money (the enormous fleet of county vehicles was among the first targets) and exploring large and small ways to raise new revenues. (Why not sell hot dogs and drinks in county parks, he asked, providing refreshments park-goers want and new revenues for the county?)

Along the way, he has demonstrated he isn't afraid to deliver bad news and tackle sacred cows. In just the last couple of months, Spratt has announced that residents of unincorporated areas have been paying too little for county services and face a tax increase. He has revealed that the County Commission chairwoman made large numbers of personal calls on her county calling card. And he smoothly moved county economic development chief Rick Dodge, a familiar name in Pinellas political circles, out of that post, where some had questioned his productivity, and into a different job.

Pinellas County has long needed a fresh outlook and a new approach to some old problems. If his first half-year is any indication, Spratt may be just what the doctor ordered.

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