BRADENTON — At Tuesday's meeting, Manatee County Commissioners sent a proposed contract renewal for Administrator Charlie Bishop back for further negotiations, citing multiple provisions that would need revision before approval.
Bishop was named Manatee County Administrator in September 2023, following the forced resignation of his predecessor, Scott Hopes. Bishop's original contract provided him with a base salary starting of $220,000.
The county’s existing contract with Administrator Bishop is scheduled to expire on August 8. Commission Chair Tal Siddique worked with the administrator, his attorney, and the county attorney to draft contract-renewal terms to bring before the board ahead of its summer recess.
Multiple conditions of the negotiated contract were deal-breakers for some commissioners, however, who declined to hold a vote on the contract in its current form.
Among the items flagged were the administrator’s proposed provisions regarding emergency pay over and above his $255,000 base salary, automatic annual raises tied to commissioner raises as set by state statute (as opposed to board-approved budgeted employee COLAs), additional vacation time and compensatory hours, and a change that would allow for an unlimited number of unused vacation leave accruals.
In addition, multiple commissioners felt the contract should include a requirement and process for annual performance review.
Another non-starter for some commissioners was a provision requiring a 5-2 supermajority vote to terminate the county administrator before the contract’s expiration.
Several members of the public also provided feedback on the proposed contract renewal terms, many criticizing the terms and/or the administrator’s job performance.
County Administrator Bishop was not in attendance on Tuesday while his contract renewal was discussed, but he followed the meeting remotely and communicated with his personal attorney, who attended the meeting to speak on his behalf.
Chair Siddique clarified that the administrator’s personal attorney was being paid by the administrator from his personal finances, not from public funds.
Negotiations will continue, and a revised contract is expected to return to the board for final approval at a later date.
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Debann
So how does Bishop justify getting a substantial raise in when he originated becoming administrator...we were promised a shelter out east and a nationwide search for an administrator years ago....WE DIDN'T GET EITHER..BISHOP is as Bad as hopeless....some Commissioners will be one term only..HOW PATHETIC
Wednesday, April 8 Report this
GLEN GADFLY GIBELLINA
The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
From: Concerned Citizens of Manatee County
Date: April 4, 2026
Formal Opposition to the Proposed Employment Agreement for County Administrator Charlie Bishop To the Board of County Commissioners,
This letter serves as a formal and strenuous objection to the proposed employment contract for County Administrator Charlie Bishop. As currently drafted, this agreement represents a significant fiscal burden on the taxpayers of Manatee County and, more importantly, an attempt to bypass the democratic will of the voters in the upcoming 2026 election. The residents of this community demand that the Board reject this contract in its current form based on the following critical points:
1. The "Election Day" Mandate A sitting Board should not have the authority to "lock in" high-level administration for a future Board that has not yet been seated. Any contract signed in 2026 must terminate shortly after the November 2026 election. The inclusion of long-term protections suggests a deliberate attempt to shield the administration from the accountability of a new Board. If the voters choose a "change in direction" this November, the new Commissioners must have the unfettered right to seat an administration that reflects that mandate.
2. Elimination of the "Golden Parachute" Buyout We strongly oppose any extended buyout clauses. If the 2027 Board determines that a change in leadership is necessary, the taxpayers should not be forced to pay a king’s ransom to terminate this agreement. This contract must be "at-will" with a termination date that allows the incoming Board to make its own assessment without being handcuffed by the decisions of a prior administration.
3. Excessive Compensation and "Perk" Bloat In a time when residents are struggling with the rising costs of housing and living, the proposed compensation package is tone-deaf: Base Salary and Automatic Hikes: A starting salary of $255,091.20 with automatic annual increases—regardless of performance metrics—is an abdication of fiscal responsibility. Compensatory and Vacation Payouts: The immediate award of 120 hours of comp time and the ability to accrue unlimited vacation leave with a 475-hour payout is a liability the county cannot afford. The Sick Leave Giveaway: Paying out 50% of unused sick leave upon termination "for any reason" (including involuntary termination) is unheard of in the private sector and rewards potential failure.
4. Lack of Accountability The provision for an automatic salary increase tied to the percentage increase received by Commissioners removes the incentive for meritorious performance. The Administrator should serve the citizens, and his compensation should be subject to a transparent, public vote based on achieved goals—not a "ride-along" with the Board’s own pay raises. Conclusion The timing and terms of this contract suggest it is a defensive maneuver designed to survive an election cycle.
We are calling on this Board to JUST SAY NO. If a contract is to be signed, it must be a bridge agreement that ends in December 2026. Let the next Board—the one chosen by the people this November—decide who will lead Manatee County into the future.
Do not bind the hands of the next administration with a $255,000-a-year anchor.
Respectfully,
WTF Welcome To Florida
Thursday, April 9 Report this
moomba19
We have to do better than this. There is no way I have seen progress within our county that even equates to a salary as such along with these benefits. If anything, his salary should be reduced. I was with the county long enough to watch Charlie progress up the ladder to the position he is in now. In my opinion. there must have been have been a lack of qualifying candidates and the Board just placed blindfolds on and selected.
We need a candidate that will listen to the locals and guide the Board with accurate metrics that have "something" or "anything" to do with less growth.
Manatee County is populated beyond belief. You cannot drive from point A to B with major frustration but yet the matchbox construction of apartments just keep rolling in. Rural areas that used to be able to support farmers and/or ranchers are GONE. Before long there will be nothing worth taking/buying from any farmers markets.
Public Safety is so far behind, which by the way is the number one responsibility of government, it will take millions to get it where it needs to be.
It seems like common sense left local government years ago.
Friday, April 10 Report this
Dianna
When you are not meeting citizens’ needs, when you refuse to use your county-issued phone to avoid public records, when you have contributed to the reduction of our wetlands, when you won’t answer residents whose homes were flooded by dam water releases, when you indicate you are buying one type of kennel for the shelter and actually purchase something totally different, when you claim there is a UF report on the animal shelter and there isn’t one and they never stepped foot on the property, when we are still driving away our best employees because they are not conforming to the corruption and management threatens their livelihoods by fabricating lies to keep them quiet..... When absolutely nothing has changed, then we need a new County Administrator.
Saturday, April 11 Report this