Charlotte County continues clean up

Charlotte County Economic Development Director Don Root was asked to resign Aug. 18 under pressure following a dust-up during a break in an Industrial Development Authority meeting.

Ray Sandrock, the county's new interim county administrator gave Root one day to agree to resign or be fired. Sandrock took over after Roger Baltz was pressured by county commissioners to resign a week earlier.

Root was upset with losing a potential deal to bring a major employer to the county. According to the Charlotte Sun Herald, when the subject came up at a meeting, he stepped outside to compose himself, but when a board member came out, and told Root, “just go get another one,” Root told the Sun Herald he “lost it.”

Root had been appointed to the position in October 2007 after holding the same position for five years with St. Lucie County. Last year, Root received a salary of $120,786.

He is credited with getting several business incentives through the County Commission, including a property tax exemption for new and expanding businesses, which was approved by voters Aug. 24. Root also led efforts to form the authority, the Economic Charlotte Enterprise Council and the county's Economic Development Working Group.

Interestingly, an item on the county's November ballot, if passed would have the economic development director report directly to the county commission instead of the county administrator.

In addition to Baltz's departure, six other county department heads have left county employment for one reason or another this year.

Mark Gumula, the former director of the Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization, and who was the county's growth management director in the 1990s, was also asked to resign in May.

The three Charlotte County commissioners who sit on the five-member board, asked for Gumula's resignation.

MPO Chairman Dick Loftus lost his seat on the commission when Stephen Deutsch defeated the incumbent with nearly 60% of the vote in the Aug. 24 primary. County Commission Chairman Bob Starr and Commissioner Tricia Duffy also represent the county on the MPO board.