So, Chas is now in Florida?

I must have missed the news story about Charles “Randy” Oliver becoming the Escambia, Florida, County Administrator. He started work on November 1, with his maximum salary reported to be $145,000.

Click here, scroll down to page 8 and take a look at all that Randy Oliver accomplished while here in Peoria.

Oliver most recently (2008-March 2010) served as city manager in Surprise, Arizona, a city of 118,000 citizens, 850 employees and an annual budget of $300 million. According to The Arizona Republic newspaper, he was fired on the spot on a 4-3 vote by the Surprise Town Council without giving any real reason.Source

Upon exiting the Surprise Arizona gig:

The four council members that voted to terminate Oliver issued the following statement:

When former City Manager Oliver was hired, his skills and personality aligned with the needs of the City at that time. Over the last two years, Surprise has undergone many dramatic changes and felt the economic downturn that has impacted communities nationwide. As the City has gone through these growing pains, the focus and direction of the City has changed as well. Mr. Oliver has provided adequate service during much of this time period, but our City needs to move in a different direction.

Upon exiting the Peoria gig:
When asked why he’s leaving, he responded by saying, “I have other things I want to do.” When asked “what other things,” he said “consulting.”

Upon exiting the Greenville South Carolina gig:
“I was never asked to resign,” he said. “I was terminated from a technical point of view from Lee County…Frankly, probably, the majority of the board – I’m sure the majority of the board in Lee county – would like to have me back,” he said.

News on the alleged "best City Manager the City has ever had"

Former Peoria City Manager, Randy Oliver's contract as City Manager of Surprise, AZ has been terminated so hastily that the Surprise City Council didn't care that it would cost the city about $200,000 to let him go.

In Surprise, Oliver was paid $185,000 annually and received a monthly car allowance of $583. In addition, he received compensation for moving expenses ($3,267.45) and $4,800 in temporary housing and related expenses. Keep in mind that Oliver only had a two year contract which was effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010. Apparently, they couldn't tolerate him for three more months.

As previously reported by Peoria Pundit (upon Oliver's exit from Peoria), one of the knocks noted against Oliver was that "he didn’t manage employees very well". Notice that Councilmember Walcott's comment below alludes to the same thing.

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Surprise City Council fires manager March 26, 2010 4:28 AM

4-3 vote ends Oliver's tenure after rocky year

Surprise City Manager Randy Oliver’s contract was terminated without cause at Thursday night’s City Council meeting.The termination without cause will cost the city about $200,000.Oliver elected to have the item heard in public.

Oliver said he was surprised because no council member had approached him to discuss it before placing the topic on the agenda. “I wish I knew the genesis behind the item before it came to council,” Oliver said. “We could have worked together to address the issues.”

Oliver acknowledged he has had to make difficult decisions in his tenure, but had never had to dismiss so many employees in his career.

Oliver gave a presentation to defend some of his decisions, including laying off what amounts to about 10 percent of the city employees, as well as reducing or eliminating employee and council perks such as mileage. Take-home pay was not reduced, Oliver said.

Oliver left the meeting after the vote. Interim Assistant City Manager George Kolb will serve as acting city manager until the city takes action on Oliver’s replacement.

Read the entire article here.

Related articles: Council acts to investigate finance blunder, implement safeguards; City's latest budget moves mean eliminated positions, some layoffs