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Letter to the editor

Retired county chief returns

The Pinellas 22-year veteran will fill his old job temporarily.

By WILL VAN SANT, Times Staff Writer
Published September 26, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times (1999)] Now 67, Fred Marquis was Pinellas administrator for 22 years before stepping down in 2000.

CLEARWATER - The Pinellas County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to tap former County Administrator Fred Marquis as an interim replacement for Steve Spratt.

Marquis has proven management ability and familiarity with county government. Now 67, he was Pinellas administrator for 22 years before stepping down in 2000.

Marquis, who will begin his new job Monday, makes his return at a difficult juncture for county government. After losing the support of the commission, Spratt announced two weeks ago that he would resign. The previous week, the commission fired County Attorney Susan Churuti.

Both departures stemmed from the county's June purchase of land privately owned by Property Appraiser Jim Smith. The purchase was the subject of a blistering grand jury report released at the end of July that dealt a serious blow to the morale of county leaders and employees.

Born in Jacksonville, Marquis served in the Vietnam War as a U.S. military adviser to the South Vietnamese army. He retired in 1998 from the U.S. Army Reserve with the rank of major general.

During his time with Pinellas County, he played a key role in exposing a public corruption scandal in the mid 1970s in which commissioners were convicted of accepting payoffs from developers.

Marquis will hold the position until a permanent administrator is found or for one year, when his contract expires. He will get a salary of $200,000 - $23,500 less than Spratt's annual salary. He'll also get a $500 monthly car allowance, the same as Spratt.

Marquis said he knows bringing stability to county government and shoring up public confidence will be priorities but said he was uncertain how he would achieve these goals. He said he hoped to have a clearer sense after meeting with commissioners individually next week to discuss the county's needs and to gauge whether they want him to play a strong policymaking role or be more of a supporting player.

Fast facts

Fred Marquis

Birthplace, age:Jacksonville, 67

Military service: Served in the Vietnam War. Retired in 1998 from the U.S. Army Reserve.

Public service:Before taking the top post, he was an assistant county administrator and county planning director.

Family: He has two daughters and three grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Suzanne, in Trinity.

[Last modified September 25, 2007, 23:55:09]