Pinellas commission opposes countywide mayor 

Pinellas County’s leadership will not let voters decide if they want an elected mayor to oversee government operations, despite initial eagerness to explore the sweeping change.

Commissioners instead expressed their preference at a May 15 workshop to enhance the board chairperson’s authority. Their reassessment of the current governing system stemmed from a strategic planning session discussion April 5.

Commissioner Chris Latvala reiterated Thursday that his proposal was not an indictment of County Administrator Barry Burton’s performance. Latvala has “no interest serving in this position if it’s ever on the ballot,” and credited Burton for a “fantastic job.”

“I believe, philosophically, that the person who makes the day-to-day decisions should be accountable to the voters,” Latvala said. “The county administrator is the most important person in the county.”

In 1964, Pinellas became Florida’s first county to adopt a commission-administrator form of government. Burton assumed his role in 2018 and manages over 1,900 employees.

The county administrator has wide latitude to make decisions and purchases during a state of emergency. Burton has guided Pinellas through a pandemic, multiple hurricanes and a $1.3 billion stadium deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton (left) and David Abrams, lead consultant for Inner Circle Sports, discuss plans to build a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in July 2024. Screengrab.

In Florida, Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach Counties employ elected “strong” mayors. While those areas are significantly larger than Pinellas, a local countywide mayor would still impact nearly a million residents, 24 municipalities and several million annual visitors.

The City of Jacksonville and Duval County uniquely consolidated governments in October 1968. The area has the state’s longest-running strong mayor system and is similar in size (1.03 million people) to Pinellas (961,596).

“If you look at Duval, it’s a case study on why not to do this,” said Pinellas Clerk of Courts Ken Burke. “Mayor after mayor said, ‘I’m only here for eight years, let the next guy take care of it.’ And that’s often what happens.”

Burke elaborated that professional administrators oversee the “nuts and bolts of government.” While that “isn’t too exciting, it’s very necessary, especially when you have a crisis.”

Latvala then floated the idea of enhancing the board chairperson’s role, which his colleagues on the commission favored. Commissioner Kathleen Peters believes a countywide mayor would diminish the commission’s role, while “elevating one person to enormous power.” Peters said she could “just look around at nearby cities and see why I wouldn’t want that.”

Commissioner Vince Nowicki suggested the administrator host an annual “State of the County” event to highlight their daily operations and receive public feedback. He also said the board chairperson should have a seat on an executive committee during emergencies to “represent our viewpoint.”

Nowicki thought that would help assuage some of Latvala’s concerns. His colleagues agreed, and Peters noted the chairperson could also lean on outside political relationships to benefit the county.

Commissioner Brian Scott, the current chairperson, thanked Latvala for fostering a “great discussion.” He said some constituents pushed for a countywide mayor when he first ran for office.

Scott researched the idea and decided the county’s form of government works as intended. “I don’t want a solution in search of a problem,” he added.

While Scott admitted there are benefits to both forms of government, he said the chairperson “essentially is a county mayor for the year,” who should be present for decisions during a state of emergency.

Conversely, Scott noted that directing 2,000 employees is typically not an “elected skill set.” He believes the county’s government is in a “good place.”

“But I really do like the idea of looking at some ways to enhance the chair’s authority, whether that’s through the agenda, whether that’s through emergency situations,” Scott said. “I think we can have some discussion about that, or maybe just look at enhancing our policy.”