Sarasota News Leader

08/01/2014

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SNL: So there is perhaps an atmosphere prob- lem within the county? SS: There is no question there is an atmo- sphere when you see the county administrator removed after a year when you see the ethics officer escorted from the building, when you see a very short dismissal of the SCAT execu- tive — who, by all accounts, was doing a good job [as far as] I could determine — when you have repeated examples to the community, it is a pretty clear example to employees what your role is. It is to not a say a word to anyone about anything that might be inappropriate. And I just don't think that's want Sarasota County voters want. I think they want honest, transparent government. SNL: Overall, how do you think Tom Harmer has been doing since taking over as administrator? SS: It doesn't take any talent to be a critic. The guy is doing his job under very difficult circumstances. He was brought in by Randy Reid, which should say something to his abilities. He was able to bring the budget in where it needed to be. But make no mistake, he is doing his job under extremely difficult circumstances. SNL: You were a supporter of Reid? SS: I thought Reid was doing a good job. SNL: Regarding the come-as-you-are home- less shelter, you changed your position. Why? SS: The City of Sarasota has taken on 90 per- cent of the issues in the county, whether it is the hospital, mental health beds, counseling facilities. Most of those are inside the city. We couldn't take on the burden of another homeless facility in the city. What we found as we did more research on [homelessness consultant] Dr. [Robert] Marbut and where he said a there was a great "whiz bang" home- less shelter, [we] actually [found] increased problems in the [areas] wherever [such shel- ters were built]. I was trying to be supportive of trying to get something done. But I can tell you more of a moment when I realized we were going down the wrong road. It was when Commissioner [Susan] Chapman — she may have been asking it in a rough way, in my opinion — was asking a legitimate ques- tion. "Here is the report you submitted; here are the places you quote. Where is your sup- portive data on this?" She asked, "Where is the supporting documentation?" It was an honest, straightforward question. He looked at her and said, "You need to make a public records request to Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to ask for that information." ... He basi- cally said, "No, I'm not telling you." … At that point, I realized what he was handing us was not what we needed, and there was no data to support that this was going to solve the problem. The Salvation Army might be able to solve some of our problem — some of it, not all of it. I'm in favor of a jail diversion program, a controlled facility, [not] just having a facility someone flops down at and says, "Yeah, I'll listen to your counselor so I can get out of the rain and get a place to eat." You have the right to pursue happiness, and I support that. It's not the taxpayers' obligation to pay for it, Sarasota News Leader August 1, 2014 Page 20

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