Tax cut doesn't deter new administrator

Passage of Amendment 1 won't keep the designee from heading south.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer
Published February 1, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT David Hamilton, the county's new administrator pending County Commission approval, says he's ready to tackle Amendment 1.

BROOKSVILLE - As Tuesday night's overwhelming Amendment 1 victory crept into cyberspace, David Hamilton was monitoring the vote count from his home in Minnesota.

By the time it was obvious that more property tax reduction was a citizen mandate in Florida, Hamilton called it a night.

The next day, he signed a tentative contract to become Hernando County's next administrator. That contract is now subject to approval by county commissioners on Tuesday.

"A daunting challenge lies ahead," he said Thursday afternoon, referring to the millions of dollars county officials will have to trim from next year's budget because of the referendum.

But Hamilton, 58, said he is ready for the challenge, just as soon as he finishes up work on the tasks he vows to finish before leaving his job as county administrator in Crow Wing County, Minn.

The proposed contract sets Hamilton's base salary at $135,000. After six months with a satisfactory evaluation, that will automatically increase by 5 percent.

"I'm very satisfied with that," he said, noting that it is a similar salary to that earned by Gary Kuhl when he left the administrator job late last year. Kuhl was earning $136,281.

Still, the base pay is a significant raise for Hamilton who earns $110,000 in his current job. Regular performance evaluations also are included in the contract proposal.

The county will pay to move Hamilton to Hernando and he will only have to pay some of that back if he voluntarily resigns in the next two years.

If the commissioners terminate Hamilton or ask him to resign before the contract term, he would receive five months pay, which is standard for contract employees, according to Barbara Dupre, human resources director.

If Hamilton decides to resign while the contract is still in force, he must give 30 days notice.

Hamilton gets the use of a county car and will be allowed to continue his education and attend county manager-related professional development opportunities at the county's expense.

He also will receive the other employee benefits but several such as the deferred compensation package, which works like a private employers' 401k programs, and the ability to take unused leave time as a lump sum will be reduced if Hamilton leaves before the end of the five-year contract.

Hamilton will live in the county, as required by Florida law. Commission Chairman Chris Kingsley, who was assigned to help negotiate the contract, said Hamilton has made it clear that he looks forward to that. With the slow housing market, Kingsley joked that the new administrator should have no problem finding a place.

The buyers' market means he can be "like a kid in a candy store" trying to find a good deal, he said.

The tentative contract sets Hamilton's start date on March 17. The terms of the contract can be reviewed annually as long as the correct notice is given by the majority of the County Commission or Hamilton.

The start date is not certain since Hamilton gave his Crow Wing commissioners the required 60-day notice. He has requested an early release from that but his board does not meet until Feb. 12 to consider his request. The worst case would put Hamilton in Hernando in early April.

Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1434.

[Last modified January 31, 2008, 20:06:55]