Comments on: Escambia County Commission Terminates Administrator Randy Oliver

By: Betty

Betty — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 03:33:31 +0000

I am excited that the county has come up with ways to spend the money that I will pay for property taxes this year. I see they must pay the fired county administrator half his yearly salary which is a hefty $72,000 plus. That, in addition to the beach mouse property that someone made the “small” mistake of giving construction permits for. That only cost the tax payers $119,000 plus. These two items alone could have payed a few cents raise to some underpaid teachers or other county employees. Amazing how clever our elected officials are and how well they hire the right people. Maybe if their salaries were docked for their mistakes, they would not make so many. Just thinking!

By: Russ

Russ — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:51:09 +0000

Thank u Mr. Oliver for all that u have done for this county. Speaking as a county employee we haven’t got a raise in over 6 plus years and it really hurts because we are the lowest paid emploees in the state. But u might not of had a dog in the fight for the employees.

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:59:03 +0000

I watched the fiasco unfold during the County Commissioner’s meeting last night and frankly I think the wrong person was fired. There is more to this story then the average joe citizen will ever know.

By: CJ Lewis

CJ Lewis — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:21:06 +0000

I had plenty of interaction with Mr. Oliver and his staff and every contact was professional. Every inquiry received a prompt and complete response.
Every interaction with Oliver that other citizens told me about was also professional. I doubt Oliver really knows why he was fired. You certainly can’t tell even if you try to read between the lines of the tortured his 2011 and 2012 evaluations.

A fairer approach would have been to hire an outside management expert to conduct a 360 degree performance review speaking with the County Commissioners but also the Constitutional Officers, county employees and public. Most of the criticism Oliver has received has been for doing the job he was hired to do. At least two new Commissioners will soon join the Commission. Maybe Oliver will be rehired.

The real problem is with the Commission governance model. They need to elect a Chairperson for two years and let that person supervise how well the City Administrator does or does not carry out the will of the Commission as a legislative and governing body. No one can succeed having five bosses pulling them in five different directions with some imagining the County Administrator as their personal “gofer.”

By: Oversight

Oversight — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:26:27 +0000

I guess Commissioner White had an axe to grind with Oliver because he didn’t get that BOCC job he wanted after his term is up in November. Well, now they’re both fired!

By: c.w.

c.w. — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:56:32 +0000

I guess that robertson won,ts to give his buddy another job with the county like he did at the horse stables. The good old boys carry on!

By: Terminal Craziness

Terminal Craziness — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:30:02 +0000

Maybe Kevin White should take Terminal Leave until his term ends November 14th..ish – he doesn’t need to have an influence in any further County business…..

By: Just my 2 cents

Just my 2 cents — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:24:30 +0000

Mr. Oliver, Thanks for your supervision over the last 2yrs. You balanced the county budget and have served county employees pretty well.
Good Luck in your next endeavor. Please don’t judge all of us by the three that voted NO.

By: M&M

M&M — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:20:17 +0000

So sorry this happened just after the Sheriff made his remarks about the Administrator. I thought Mr. Oliver had done a good job.
I am so sorry this turned into a personally contest. It is the same thing everytime a good Administator is hired. Because they give an Administrator the job they try to control to much. This is the second time they have released a great Administator because of his personally. So now we dtsrt sll over again.

By: shiloh

shiloh — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:15:55 +0000

What happened white, robertson, and valentino? Was Randy to honest for the good ole boys? I bet, if the truth be known, Oliver slept better last night than he has in a long time.