Howard Tipton gets nod to become Longboat Key town manager; St. Lucie County to begin search
LONGBOAT KEY — Howard Tipton's seven-year tenure as St. Lucie County administrator will come to an end in four months after officials here on Monday named him the barrier island's next town manager.
The Town Commission Monday unanimously approved Tipton's four-year contract. He will start Jan. 30 at a $211,500 salary. His St. Lucie County salary is $207,168.
"It's a wonderful thing to come from an amazing organization where we've done a lot of good things to an amazing organization where I look forward to doing a number of great things," Tipton told the Town Commission Monday.
Announcement: St. Lucie County Administrator Howard Tipton likely leaving for town manager job in Longboat Key
End of an era: Leaving St. Lucie County for Longboat Key was one of Howard Tipton's 'hardest decisions'
Guessing game: Large manufacturing facilities to join FedEx, Amazon in PSL, but who is it?
Tipton, 64, will succeed Tom Harmer, who announced his plan to retire about two months ago.
Tipton's 40 years of experience in Florida government — which includes roles such as county administrator for Brevard County, deputy administrator for Orange County and chief administration officer for the Orange County Clerk of Courts — made him an attractive candidate for the Longboat Key position, according to Harmer and others.
Longboat Key is a 10-mile long island in both Manatee and Sarasota counties. It's a much smaller residential community than St. Lucie County, with many retirees. Its has a population of nearly 7,600, compared to St. Lucie County's 343,000.
The St. Lucie County Commission Tuesday is expected to discuss its search for Tipton's successor.
Olivia McKelvey is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach her at olivia.mckelvey@tcpalm.com, 772-521-4380 and on Twitter @olivia_mckelvey.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Longboat Key hires St. Lucie County Administrator Howard Tipton
