MORE CHANGES AT THE TOP IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY

PUBLISHED REPORTS SAY CHARLOTTE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR DON ROOT WAS FIRED WEDNESDAY AFTER YELLING AT A MEMBER OF THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DURING A COMMITTEE MEETING.  ROOT WAS APPARENTLY FRUSTRATED AT ANOTHER COMPANY WHO BACKED OUT OF COMING TO CHARLOTTE COUNTY AT THE LAST SECOND.  ROOT HAS BEEN WITH THE COUNTY SINCE 2007, AND REPORTEDLY HAS UNTIL TODAY TO STEP DOWN VOLUNTARILY AND ACCEPT A SEVERANCE PACKAGE; A DECISION HE HAS REPORTEDLY NOT YET MADE.  HE MADE A LITTLE MORE THAN $120,000 DOLLARS A YEAR.  ALSO, THE COUNTY ANNOUNCED ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT THEY WERE COMBINING THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS, WHICH WILL BE LED BY JEFF RUGGIERI.  THAT MEANS THAT ASSISTANT BUILDING OFFICAL VINCENT LAPORTA IS OUT OF A JOB, MAKING EIGHT SUPERVISORS OR DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED SINCE JANUARY, WITH FOUR OF THOSE COMING IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, INCLUDING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ROGER BALTZ.  THE COUNTY SAYS THEY MADE THE MOVE TO CREATE A CENTRALIZED LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO COMPLETE THEIR PERMITTING NEEDS.  THE COUNTY ALSO SAID THEY WILL BE MOVING THE ZONING AND REAL ESTATE SERVICES DIVISION TO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT THREE SEPARATE BUILDING WHICH HAPPENS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.