A Times Editorial

Replacing Marquis

Pinellas commissioners should conduct a serious national search for a new county administratorprepared to give strong, independent counsel.

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 1, 2000

Pinellas County Administrator Fred Marquis, who will officially retire on Sept. 30, is an oddity. He will have lasted 22 years in a profession that sees much more frequent turnover, and he has worked without a contract.

Marquis said last November he would retire if voters approved a restructuring of the County Commission, and he kept his word. The referendum passed and will enlarge the commission to seven members, four from single-member districts. Five of those seats will be filled in the upcoming primary and general elections.

Marquis deserves credit for his long public service (he also rose to the rank of two-star general in the Army Reserve, retiring in 1998). He played an important role in creating some of the county's best assets: a park system that is unrivaled in the state and public improvements, including the Pinellas Trail and Bayside Bridge, that were tied to the successful Penny for Pinellas campaign. He also built a competent county staff.

Yet his longevity also can be attributed to traits that helped him survive when the overall good of the county was not being served. He did not stand up to powerful former Commissioner Chuck Rainey, who dominated county government during most of Marquis' tenure. Rainey's tough-guy attitude led to the water wars between Pinellas and its neighboring counties that wasted tax dollars and delayed the cooperative spirit that now prevails.

And county government failed to adequately plan for transportation needs. Pinellas roads are choked by traffic from development that surged during the past two decades. Approaching build-out, Pinellas County still does not have a limited-access highway serving the northern half of the county, and its east-west arteries are clogged with strip malls and stop lights.

While it can be argued that few officials stood up to Rainey and that the Legislature is also responsible for the poor condition of state roads in the county, the county administrator plays an important role. Marquis should have been a stronger voice of warning to the commission as it moved against its neighbors and approved ever more construction.

The balance between a county administrator's sense of survival and his professional duty is always delicate. But there are times when an administrator should deliver the difficult message even when it endangers his job.

After the election, the new county commission should conduct a serious nationwide search for Marquis' successor. The successful candidate should have experience in a crowded urban area similar to Pinellas County, and that candidate should be someone who has the courage to disagree with her or his bosses.

It won't be easy to replace Marquis and his institutional knowledge. But with the challenges that lie ahead, commissioners will need a strong administrator reminding them of their responsibilities and giving them choices.

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