The Manatee County Commission is expected to consider whether to terminate County Administrator Charlie Bishop’s contract at its Oct. 6 regular meeting following a request from Commissioner Jason Bearden.
Bearden requested during the Sept. 22 commission meeting that termination of Bishop’s contract be placed on the Oct. 6 agenda, saying he wanted commissioners to hear public comment before making a decision.
Bishop’s employment agreement was last considered by commissioners in April, before his previous contract was set to expire in August. Rather than approve a proposed new agreement, commissioners unanimously extended his existing contract for six months, through Feb. 8, 2027. The proposed agreement had included provisions involving leave accrual, automatic salary increases, a vehicle allowance, an indefinite term and a supermajority vote for termination without cause.
The upcoming discussion follows disagreements between Bearden and Bishop over Bearden’s requests for county records.
Bearden requested records involving procurement purchases during the previous 24 months, along with purchases between $50,000 and $500,000 made by Bishop since he became interim county administrator in August 2023. According to reporting on the Sept. 22 meeting, Bishop advised Bearden that fulfilling the request could take up to two months and asked that the request be brought before the full commission for a vote. Bearden subsequently moved his requested deadline to Oct. 5 and asked that Bishop’s termination instead be considered at the next meeting.
Bearden has also sought records involving the Bishop Animal Shelter and the County Attorney’s Office. His request to the County Attorney’s Office concerned the financial impact of litigation and claims against the county, including amounts covered by insurance and amounts paid by county taxpayers. County Attorney Pamela D’Agostino maintained that the request should come from the full board, according to the Sept. 22 meeting report.
The records requests followed public allegations by Bearden of corruption within county government. As of Sept. 22, Bearden had not publicly identified specific individuals or incidents to substantiate those broader allegations, according to the Observer’s reporting.
Commissioner Bob McCann also questioned the difficulty of producing the requested purchasing information and supported making the information available. McCann indicated he did not expect a majority of commissioners to support terminating Bishop, while encouraging residents with concerns to participate in the Oct. 6 meeting.
Bearden is not seeking reelection in November. The commission’s Oct. 20 regular meeting is scheduled to be its final regular meeting before the Nov. 3 general election.
The Oct. 6 Board of County Commissioners regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Manatee County Administrative Center, 1112 Manatee Ave. W. in Bradenton.
