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Hunzeker Reprimanded by Manatee County Commission

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BRADENTON – The Manatee County Commission officially reprimanded county administrator Ed Hunzeker this week, after an embarrassing series of public hearings regarding the site location of a radio tower showed that Hunzeker had ignored the board’s direction on seeking engagement with residents of the surrounding community.

The letter cites a "failure to exercise professional judgment,“ resulting in "insubordination“ on the matter. The letter (click here to read it in full), chastises Hunzeker and his administration for going out of their way to avoid public input throughout the planning process and then ignoring the commission’s instructions at a workshop to engage citizens before the next meeting.

When the board found out about the insubordination, it voted to suspend construction of the tower in order to seek alternatives. However, it was ultimately decided that the administration having moved ahead made a change cost prohibitive at this point. The delay cost county taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, according to the vendor.

The letter warns that further instances of such behavior could be grounds for dismissal. At the Sep. 25 BOCC meeting, when the final vote on the project was taken, District 4 County Commissioner Robin DiSabatino moved to fire Hunzeker for his insubordination, but could not get a second for her motion.

Hunzeker has been embroiled in much controversy during his tenure, which began in November of 2006, just months after he was abruptly fired as Osceola County's administrator. His time in Manatee has included two expensive efforts to extend his services beyond planned retirement dates.

In 2013, he pushed a special off-year election for a sales tax that cost taxpayers over a quarter million dollars, even though they turned it away nearly 2-1. The election could have been conducted for free just months earlier. Rather than heed the will of the voters, Hunzeker simply convinced the board to fund the associated projects from county reserve funds until another referendum could pass and funding could be shifted.

Hunzeker has also been criticized for pushing for the completion of the expensive 44th Ave East extension favored by east county developers, at the expense of more pressing traffic management concerns in Manatee’s central corridor.

related:

No Accountability on Radio Tower Fiasco

click here to read

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