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Office shuffle benefits new workers

Salaries for Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson and his two top employees total almost $410,000.

By JEFF TESTERMAN
Published August 3, 2006

TAMPA - Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson has said goodbye to Helene Marks, the lawyer he recruited last year to be his top assistant, and welcomed Kathy Harris, another lawyer who now becomes his general counsel and chief of administration.

Johnson is paying a premium for the services of Harris, a long-time government employee in Broward who was also a top assistant to former Hillsborough County Administrator Dan Kleman. She started in Johnson's office last month at $165,006 - about 30 percent more than the $126,753 Johnson makes himself as supervisor.

"With her qualifications and experience, I feel very fortunate to have her on my team," Johnson said Wednesday. "In a county that is arguably as important electorally as any in the U.S., it demands the best."

In May, Johnson also promoted long-time friend James A. Reed, with whom he once played Little League, to assistant supervisor of elections. Reed, hired initially in 2003 at $50,003 a year, left and then was rehired in 2005. Since then, he has received five raises in the last 19 months and is now paid $118,060.

Reed worked 24 years for the Coronet Industries phosphate plant in Plant City and was manager of plant logistics and manpower planning until he left in 2002. He is also the spouse of former Tampa Tribune Managing Editor Donna Reed, now an executive for the newspaper's corporate owner, Media General, in Richmond, Va.

Johnson and his top two employees are now paid a total of $409,813 annually, compared to a total of $284,274 paid to Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark and her top two assistants. Clark makes $124,274 a year. Chief Deputy Ron Moore is paid $90,000. And Deputy Supervisor Wayne Fusco is paid $70,000.

Johnson pointed out that Harris will provide legal counsel as well as handle administrative duties. Marks did not provide legal services while with the office.

As for Reed, Johnson said: "Jim Reed is as valuable an employee as I have. He is an incredible manager of people and an incredible team builder."

The replacement of Marks with Harris and the promotion of Reed are among several changes by Johnson as his office prepares for the 2006 primaries and general election:

In March, Johnson moved much of his legal business from the county attorney's office to the Broad and Cassel law firm in Tampa. Steven Burton, the managing partner of the firm, was regional co-chairman of the Bush-Cheney legal team formed to address any voting concerns during the 2004 presidential election.

Johnson recently notified the county that his office would need an additional $240,000 appropriation next year to pay for outside legal counsel.

"I'm going to have my entire operation out there but still keep the downtown office open," said Johnson. "Having two offices is extremely counterproductive."

Harris, 48, was hired after Marks made a decision to retire when her role in Johnson's office changed.

Before joining the elections office, Marks served eight years as in-house counsel to Clerk of the Circuit Court Richard Ake. Marks was designated as Ake's successor but lost in the 2004 Democratic primary to Pat Frank. Johnson then sought out Marks to become chief deputy supervisor.

This spring, however, Marks' responsibilities were redefined and she decided to retire from government service.

Marks, 53, was paid $115,190 when she retired last month. She spent most of the last few months of her elections office tenure at home, under instructions from Johnson to concentrate on the writing of a handbook of employee policies.

Marks declined to comment about her separation from Johnson's office.

Harris' latest job was as general counsel and director of administration at the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute. She was paid $155,769 by the non-profit last year, according to the institute's tax return.

Harris joined the Byrd Institute after resigning her $135,600 position as assistant county administrator for human services in August 2001 over philosophical differences with the human resources department.

Calling it "probably the hardest decision I have ever made," Harris said in a resignation letter, "I am unable to support our continued practices, particularly when asked not to question those practices."

Before coming to Hillsborough, Harris worked in several jobs in Broward County. She served as director of Human Services for Broward, worked as a corporate lawyer in private practice, oversaw a nonprofit which operated two homeless shelters and owned a consulting company dealing with human services and housing.

Jeff Testerman can be reached at (813) 226-3422 or testerman@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 3, 2006, 01:44:04]