County boss to stay five more years

BRADENTON — Manatee County commissioners, in citing his “unprecedented innovative leadership,” extended the contract of County Administrator Ed Hunzeker through Jan. 29, 2018 — nearly four years past his expected retirement date.

“You do not get rid of your leader when your business is doing well,” Commissioner Betsy Benac says in a statement. “Good leadership is hard to find, and there are not a lot of people around with his experience. Amazing changes have happened here that have made this a customer-friendly organization.”  

Hunzeker was named to his current post in 2007, right at the cusp of the economic downturn. The Manatee County government employee base has since been cut by about 300 positions under his tenure. The operating budget in his term, moreover, has been reduced by $142 million, roughly 25%, according to the county statement.

But commissioners say they value Hunzeker for more than the cuts.

Hunzeker also led a transformation the Manatee County Building Department into what the county, in the release, now calls a “responsive and efficient arm of local government that has served as a model for others around the region.”

Hunzeker previously held leadership posts with Hillsborough County and with a hospital and a transportation authority in St. Louis. Commission Chairman Larry Bustle worked on the agreement with Hunzeker over the past two weeks.

“(Hunzeker's) innovative leadership is almost unprecedented in Manatee County,” Bustle says in the statement. “I believe it's truly beneficial to keep him on board and to continue our progress. The numerous examples of his leadership and management success have led to some huge cost savings and improved the way the county operates.”