Coryea Given More Time To Negotiate Severance Package: Report

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Manatee County commissioners cancelled their Feb. 17 special meeting to vote on whether to fire County Administrator Cheri Coryea so her attorney could have more time to negotiate a separation agreement, the Bradenton Herald reported.

In a 6 to 1 vote at their Tuesday meeting, commissioners decided to move the discussion of Coryea’s future with the county to their Feb. 23 regular meeting, reports said. Commissioner James Satcher cast the sole vote against the rescheduling.

If Coryea resigns, she wouldn’t be entitled to a severance package, according to her contract. If the commissioners terminate her contract, though, she’d receive 20 weeks severance pay, reports said. The extra time would allow her attorney negotiate a severance package should she resign.

Commissioners also unanimously voted to hire former Sarasota County commissioner Charles Hines as acting county administrator, reports said.

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First-time commissioners James Satcher, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and George Kruse, joined by Vanessa Baugh, who was recently sworn in for her third term, led the charge to fire Coryea at the Nov. 19 commission meeting and voted in favor of her dismissal.

Van Ostenbridge proposed her termination, and he, along with Satcher and Kruse, had only been in office for 50 hours at the time. Commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Misty Servia and Carol Whitmore voted against letting Coryea go.

Ultimately, though, the commission decided Coryea should retain her position at its Jan. 6 meeting, reports said.

At the commission's Jan. 26 meeting, Kruse motioned to revisit Coryea's termination, which the commission supported in a 4 to 3 vote. Bellamy, Servia and Whitmore were the "no" votes.

At that same meeting, Kruse admitted to an extramarital affair and accused Whitmore of using that information to blackmail him. Whitmore denied the accusation and has since retained a lawyer.