Simmons heading for county job amid reorganization
- June 25, 2015
- / Shannon Nickinson
- / government
Former Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons is being hired as an assistant county administrator.
The reorganization of County Administrator Jack Brown's staff includes adding Simmons, who retired as city police chief. It also includes the departure of two department heads: Marilyn Wesley, director of community affairs, and David Musselwhite, director of information and technology.
It puts Simmons on par with Amy Lovoy, who is Brown's interim assistant county administrator and has been the county's longtime budget director.
Brown noted during Thursday's County Commission meeting that the reorganization came with a savings of some $100,000. Simmons start date is July 20; his salary is $120,016. Lovoy's position becomes permanent as of July 1; her salary is $121,500.
County policy indicates that such appointments may be handled at the administrator's discretion, though eyebrows were raised in this instance because of the high-profile nature of the hire and the recent more widely public searches for the library director and corrections director jobs.
The reorganization was signed off on by commissioners Thursday. Simmons, Shawn Fletcher, the new IT director, and Tonya Gant, the new director of neighborhood and human services, were recognized during the meeting for their new positions.
Here is the previous organizational chart:
Here's the proposed organizational chart would look like:
Simmons will have oversight over public safety coordination, firefighters, jail construction, among other duties.
Under Simmons on the org chart are Michael Tidwell, hired earlier this year as the county's corrections director, and Mike Weaver, longtime public safety director.
Tidwell will continue to supervise work release, the jail, pretrial diversion programs, community detention and community services work. Weaver will continue to supervise emergency management operations, fire rescue emergency medical services and emergency business operations.
Commissioner Doug Underhill noted at the meeting that "as we mature as county, we need to move to a point where all hirings, all promotions are public and these are competitive jobs."
Though it is not required by state "sunshine laws", Underhill said he thought "the transparency would prompt other citizens who are not part of county government to serve their government... so that everyone who works in this building is an accurate reflection of the community."
Commissioner Lumon May spoke to Wesley's more than 27 years of service and called her an "icon" in the community. He called this week one of his hardest as a commissioner in light of the staff reorganization and debate swirling around the display of the Confederate flag at the county-owned Pensacola Bay Center.
"I hope this reshuffling is indicative of the direction we're going to provide efficient government and being good stewards of our resources," May said.
Here's the proposed organizational chart would look like:
Simmons will have oversight over public safety coordination, firefighters, jail construction, among other duties.
Under Simmons on the org chart are Michael Tidwell, hired earlier this year as the county's corrections director, and Mike Weaver, longtime public safety director.
Tidwell will continue to supervise work release, the jail, pretrial diversion programs, community detention and community services work. Weaver will continue to supervise emergency management operations, fire rescue emergency medical services and emergency business operations.
Commissioner Doug Underhill noted at the meeting that "as we mature as county, we need to move to a point where all hirings, all promotions are public and these are competitive jobs."
Though it is not required by state "sunshine laws", Underhill said he thought "the transparency would prompt other citizens who are not part of county government to serve their government... so that everyone who works in this building is an accurate reflection of the community."
Commissioner Lumon May spoke to Wesley's more than 27 years of service and called her an "icon" in the community. He called this week one of his hardest as a commissioner in light of the staff reorganization and debate swirling around the display of the Confederate flag at the county-owned Pensacola Bay Center.
"I hope this reshuffling is indicative of the direction we're going to provide efficient government and being good stewards of our resources," May said.
Recent Posts
-
CivicCon launches with a look at good growth in cities
-
Building stronger brains one baby, one parent at a time
-
SCI debuts commercial on Early Learning City
-
Entrecon: World class speakers and an opportunity to sharpen skills
-
PYP Quality of Life survey 2017
-
EntreCon Pensacola 2016: A look back
-
Leadership tip: getting better employee takeaways
-
Leadership tip: be interested instead of interesting
-
Leadership tip: delivering difficult messages
-
Brain Bags boost Arc, Early Childhood Court programs