County official in running for Florida position

Jeff Schweers

Tuesday, March 4, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Assistant County Manager Jim Ley has applied for the county manager's position in a small but growing coastal community in southwest Florida.

Ley is one of 18 applicants who made the first cut, according to the Collier County Human Resources Department. He was selected out of 60 applicants screened by a five-member citizens committee but downplayed his standing in the selection process.

"I wouldn't classify this as a serious opportunity as yet," Ley said Monday. "It would be presumptuous to do so."

The semi-finalists must answer five questions in 30-minute videos and subject themselves to a background check. The screening committee will make its final selection March 17. Those 10-12 people will be brought to Collier County for interviews.

"It's no big deal," Ley said. "I've been at that position at least a dozen times in the last year, and in fact have recently turned down several offers."

Ley, who has been with the county for 18 years and is currently president of the National Association of County Administrators, said the interest was "as much a response to my resume being out as anything else."

County sources have speculated Ley would be one of the people leaving following the resignation of longtime County Manager Pat Shalmy. Ley has insisted he isn't going anywhere, but incoming manager Dale Askew is rumored to want his own appointee in the No. 2 county spot.

Shalmy, who appointed Ley as an assistant manager in 1991, said Ley's job-hunting has nothing to do with that or a move last year by several commissioners to fire Ley.

"It's not because of any fallout, but because he is county manager material," Shalmy said. "I think he's ready and will support him."

Collier County has a population of 197,000, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico inland to the Florida Everglades. Its major city is Naples and is home to Florida's ninth and newest state university.

The manager of Collier County must oversee 1,100 employees and a $392 million operating budget. The manager answers to five elected county commissioners.

Prior to being assistant manager, Ley was director of administrative services and before that was assistant director of comprehensive planning.

Collier County's biggest challenge is growth, something Ley has dealt with in his six years as assistant manager for Clark County.

Only two semi-finalists, both from Florida, received unanimous support from the screening committee, according to published reports. Nine of the 18 candidates had a majority of committee support, but committee chairman John Passidomo said all the semi-finalists will be weighed equally.