County Administrator Cheri Coryea On The Chopping Block: Report

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — The Board of County Commissioners made plans to move toward firing county administrator Cheri Coryea at its Thursday afternoon special meeting, the Bradenton Herald reported.

They made the decision to notify Coryea of their intention to fire her without cause in a 4 to 3 vote, reports said. That vote was led by the four commissioners who were sworn in less than three days earlier on Tuesday.

First-time commissioners James Satcher, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, and George Kruse and Vanessa Baugh, who was sworn in for her third term, led the discussion to fire Coryea and voted in favor of her dismissal, reports said. Van Ostenbridge also proposed her termination.

Commissioners Reggie Bellamy, Misty Servia and Carol Whitmore voted against the move.

“I think we need a shift in culture within the county, and I went into the beginning of the campaign with an open mind on this matter, but as we got closer and closer, things happened. I saw the direction she was leading the county and the way she was steering the commission at times,” said Van Ostenbridge. “I disagree with it fundamentally, particularly with the Lena Road land deal.”

While campaigning this fall, Kruse, Satcher and Van Ostenbridge criticized the county’s $32.5 million purchase of 161 acres of land on Lena Road, reports said. The county plans to build facilities for public works, utilities and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office on the property.

Bellamy said that the new commissioners, only in office for a few days, shouldn’t be so quick to fire county staff, reports said. He also accused them of making a premeditated decision.

“Don’t go in and say what the staff should or shouldn’t be doing. Build relationships,” Bellamy said. “I can guarantee you, with the water hose you’re drinking from right now, you might say it’s bold, but I don’t think that I, as a county commissioner, or even you, can learn in 72 hours enough to draw conclusions that you’re going to fire anybody.”

Servia called it a “reckless” decision, while Whitmore expressed how upset she was by the move, reports said.

“Kevin, I supported you, 100 percent. You know that,” Whitmore said. “I’m ashamed that I did right now. I’m really upset with what you did. You’ve been in office 50 freakin’ hours. Come on now.”

She added, “There are employees crying right now because of what you’ve just done, and maybe you don’t care.”

Coryea has worked with the county government for more than 30 years, the Herald reported. She was named deputy county administrator in 2017 and replaced the retiring county administrator in 2019.

She received glowing reviews in her annual performance evaluation at the commissioners’ Nov. 10 meeting, which included three members no longer on commission, reports said. Her work was described as “superior.”

Commissioners directed the County Attorney’s Office to contact Coryea to give her the required 15 days’ notice of their intention to enter termination negotiations, reports said. They also agreed to host a special meeting to discuss this matter on Jan. 6.