Tate Taylor joins former county administrator, former chief engineer and former long-range planning manager
Yet another former Sarasota County employee has joined his previous boss in the employment of the Town of Longboat Key, The Sarasota News Leaderlearned this week.
Tate Taylor, who was manager of the county’s Planning Services Division and liaison to the county’s Planning Commission, left county employment on March 26 and began working for the town on March 28, according to public information officers for the two local governments.
Susan M. Phillips, assistant to the Longboat Town manager, responded to the News Leaderin a May 1 email: “Yes, I can confirm Mr. Tate Taylor joined the Town’s Planning, Zoning & Building Department as a Planner, on March 28, 2018 at an annual salary of $78,020.”
Later, on May 1, county Media Relations Officer Drew Winchester wrote that Taylor’s county salary at the time of Taylor’s retirement from that staff was $85,072.
Taylor had been employed by the county since September 2006, his LinkedIn account says.
Just a week earlier — on April 25 — representatives of the Town of Longboat Key attended the regular County Commission meeting to learn the board’s decision on an application the town had submitted to the county. That application, which sought $400,000 to assist with the first phase of work on a planned Town of Longboat Key Arts, Culture and Education Center, was approved. (See the related article in this issue.)
In fact, former County Administrator Tom Harmer, who left county employment on Dec. 8, 2017 to become Longboat’s new town manager; and Isaac Brownman, who was the county’s chief engineer until last summer, were present. Brownman is the town’s public works director.
During the meeting, commission Chair Nancy Detert recognized Longboat’s new mayor, George Spoll, who was in the audience.
Then Jeff Maultsby, director of the county’s Office of Business and Economic Development — who was set to discuss the Longboat funding application — added that he would be remiss if he did not recognize Harmer and Brownman, as well.
“Yes,” Detert replied. “We recognize all of our old staff. Good to see you again,” she told Harmer and Brownman.
“We’re getting the band back together,” Maultsby joked, eliciting some laughter.
After the commission voted to approve the funding request, Commissioner Paul Caragiulo called out to Harmer and Brownman, “Don’t grab anybody else on the way out.”
Last October, a third high-ranking county employee — Allen Parsons, who served as the county’s long-range planning manager — accepted the position of director of Longboat’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department.
The person who had had that job was leaving the town on Oct. 6, 2017, Phillips told the News Leaderin a brief telephone interview on Oct. 5, 2017.
In February, Jane H. Grogg was named the county’s new manger of long-range planning, adding that responsibility to her years-long portfolio as manager of the Neighborhood Services Division, the News Leaderlearned recently. She has held the Neighborhood Services position since February 2005, according to her LinkedIn profile.
One other county employee who recently left his job accepted an offer from a different municipality in the county.
In an April 20 email, Media Relations Officer Jason Bartolone notified friends and colleagues that he would begin his new media relations position with the City of Sarasota on April 25.
In an April 24 tweet, he wrote, “It’s been real, @SRQCountyGov. Thanks to all the people who made the past four years so amazing.”
Interviews have been underway to replace Bartolone, the News Leaderlearned last week.