Last updated on August 22, 2022
Belleair’s New Interim Town Manager
It looks like the Town of Belleair is entering a renewed political era. The latest transformation to Belleair’s political structure was the town commissioner’s unanimous decision to appoint Ms. Gay Lancaster as interim town manager.
Unlike previous town managers, her resume is exceptional and includes decades of working with government departments. Her long list of government agencies includes the Pinellas County Administrator’s office, the Juvenile Welfare Board, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. She recently served on the Belleair finance board. Her magnum opus was she’s a Belleair resident.
Lancaster was the unanimous choice over three other highly regarded candidates. They included former Tarpon Springs Police Chief Robert Kochen, Robert Daniels, a one-time Madeira Beach City Manager, and Lisa Hendrickson, a former Pinellas Park Assistant City Manager.
Attending her first official commission meeting, Ms. Lancaster started the ball rolling. After only three weeks as interim town manager, she provided town commissioners updates on the status of several projects and initiatives.
As Belleair hopefully refocuses leadership to a more forward-thinking approach. By installing a new mayor and two new city commissioners and hiring a new town attorney Jay Daigneault when Nov 2021, David Ottinger, stepped down after 15-plus years. At this point, with Murphy‘s resignation. The Maxwell Murphy town manager’s tenure of 19 years and their system of predisposed one-sided leadership and imprudent decision-making is a thing of the past.
Belleair launching a renewed political methodology.
Town of Belleair is launching a renewed political methodology. Even so, Ms. Lancaster’s transition won’t be a walk in the park. She needs our support and assistance. We wish her the best!
We need to remember political change and reforms take time. Residents need to have patience and understand it takes time to mend what took many years to fracture.
Belleair’s strategic plan concluded Belleair needs. Includes more financial responsibility, Belleair’s water supply is in trouble, infrastructure road conditions need attention, preservation of the bluffs, and proactive policing.
After five years and we have five topics, all obvious goals for decades acknowledged and voiced by anguished residents.
A strategic plan is not strategic thinking. Without a strategic plan, implementation is useless. A strategic plan is ineffective without execution, and so far, that’s the case.
Hopefully, town commissioners will stop blinding following agenda-laden recommendations. Wasting time and tax dollars authorizing, without administrative accountability directed involvement, and official oversight.
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