County Administrator Permanently Hired By Manatee County

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Manatee County Board of County Commissioners confirmed Dr. Scott Hopes as the official county administrator in a 5-2 vote Tuesday less than two months after he was hired to serve in the role on an interim basis.

Commissioners Reggie Bellamy and George Kruse voted against his appointment.

Hopes was initially hired as the acting county administrator April 1. His contract called for him to provide a self-evaluation by Oct. 1 and for commissioners to provide an evaluation of him, as well, by Nov. 1, according to a news release from the county.

Hopes also serves on the School Board of Manatee County, a role he’s held since being appointed to it in 2017. Because he accepted the county administration position, he will resign his seat on the school board by Wednesday, the county said.

On the same day he was appointed acting county administrator, he asked county commissioners for a local state of emergency regarding Piney Point, which was in danger of an uncontrolled release from the gypsum stacks. Commissioners have praised Hopes for his action during that crisis.

“I'm eager to continue the job I was hired to do," he said. "I enjoy it. I want to help make a great community even greater."

Hopes replaces Cheri Coryea, who was pressured to step down from the position in February.

In November, a new slate of commissioners came in with a mission of terminating her. First-time commissioners James Satcher, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Kruse, joined by Vanessa Baugh, who was sworn in for her third term, led the charge to fire Coryea at the Nov. 19 commission meeting and voted in favor of her dismissal.

Van Ostenbridge proposed her termination, and he, along with Satcher and Kruse, had only been in office for 50 hours at the time. Commissioners Misty Servia, Carol Whitmore and Bellamy voted against letting Coryea go.

Ultimately, though, the commission decided Coryea should retain her position at its Jan. 6 meeting.

At the commission's Jan. 26 meeting, Kruse motioned to revisit Coryea's termination, which the commission supported in a 4 to 3 vote. Bellamy, Servia and Whitmore were the "no" votes.

At that same meeting, Kruse admitted to an extramarital affair and accused Whitmore of using that information to blackmail him. Whitmore denied the accusation.

Commissioners were scheduled to discuss Coryea's future with the county at a special meeting Feb. 17, but that was canceled to allow her and her attorney time to negotiate a separation agreement with the county.

Coryea worked for the county for more than 30 years.

Hopes is an experienced international chief executive officer, educator and leader with government, education and healthcare experience, the county said. He has worked in healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, Fortune 500 companies, and local, state, national and international governments.