LEWIS TABBED FOR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POST

HE’S BAAAACK.  FORMER NORTH PORT CHIEF TERRY LEWIS WAS SELECTED UNANIMOUSLY BY SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON WEDNESDAY TO BE THEIR INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.  THE MOVE CAME JUST HOURS AFTER SARASOTA SHERIFF’S MAJOR KURT HOFFMAN TURNED DOWN THE OFFER FOR THE SAME POST WHEN HE LEARNED IT WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT HIS RETIREMENT BENEFITS.  LEWIS SERVED AS INTERIM NORTH PORT CITY MANAGER FOR SIX MONTHS EARLIER THIS YEAR AND IS CURRENTLY AN UNDERSHERIFF WITH THE SARASOTA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.  COMMISSIONERS WERE DIVIDED OVER WHETHER TO CHOOSE SOMEONE FROM WITHIN OR AN OUTSIDER TO REPLACE JIM LEY, WHO RESIGNED MAY 25^TH IN LIGHT OF A MAJOR PURCHASING SCANDAL.  COMMISSIONERS WILL BEGIN A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR LEY’S PERMANENT REPLACEMENT AT THE END OF THE MONTH.