A majority of the members of the Flagler Board of County Commissioners gave County Administrator a subpar evaluation, documents submitted last week reveal. Kim Carney, Leann Pennington, and Pam Richardson all scored Petito a 2 out of 5, indicating that she ‘does not meet expectations’.
These scores were contrasted by the other two commissioners, who each gave Petito an above average evaluation. Andy Dance gave Petito a 4 out of 5 indicating she ‘exceeds expectations’, while Greg Hansen gave her a perfect 5 out of 5 to say she ‘significantly exceeds expectations’. The commission’s split was indicative of very different observations: three found her lackluster, while two found her to be an overachiever.
Chair Leann Pennington acknowledged in her evaluation comments that Petito was guiding Flagler County through what she called ‘one of the most challenging years the Administration has faced’. She also acknowledged Petito’s professionalism. But that was followed by a more grim outlook. “I remain deeply concerned about the management of our capital projects, as well as the viability, funding, and legal defensibility of our stormwater and beach initiatives,” Pennington wrote.
Kim Carney lamented that she would’ve appreciated Petito’s own thoughts on her performance prior to the commissioners evaluating her. “With the number of years Heidi has served the County I know she is dedicated and committed to Flagler County,” Carney said. “I am not confident that Heidi, her knowledge base, her experience and her leadership style is able to get us where we need to go.”
The outgoing Greg Hansen was brief in his remarks, saying that Petito was “the best Administrator by far that I have worked with in my 9+ years as a Commissioner.” Hansen has also worked alongside Craig Coffey and Jerry Cameron, Petito’s two immediate predecessors. Pam Richardson also refrained from lengthy commentary, but took time to critique Petito’s handling of the Ragga Surf Cafe dispute, the ongoing beach management situation, and the county’s animal services.
“Many outstanding achievements go under the radar,” Dance said in his comments. “Ms. Petito delivered effective and forward looking leadership marked by progress on many capital projects, improved intergovernmental collaborations, strong financial performance and state and national recognitions throughout the agency.”
Petito’s response to her evaluations was professional and absent of direct confrontation to those displeased with her. “As a firm believer in total quality management, I am constantly striving to improve our processes and outcomes,” she wrote in a followup email. “I wholeheartedly embrace your feedback and am committed to driving our organization forward under your esteemed leadership and guidance.”
Heidi Petito was appointed county administrator in October 2021, after she served four months as interim county administrator following Jerry Cameron’s retirement. Commissioner Hansen was the one who motioned for her hire, establishing an arrangement where her contract automatically renews if the County Commission does not proactively discuss it in an allotted annual time period. For most of that time Petito worked alongside Deputy Administrator Jorge Salinas, until his tragic death in a car accident earlier this year. Percy Sayles has since served in the deputy administrator role.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
