Code Enforcement Division manager Charlie Walker is taking early retirement – as we first reported. Walker has cost the county two lawsuits (Bubbas on Patrol), possibly more.
WEAR TV 3 – Asked him about the packager retirement offered as part of the announced county restructuring:
Charlie Walker: “This package is just a bonus for me to go ahead an retire and go to the house and go fishing.”
Commissioner Mike Whitehead explained the growth in county government: “During the three or four years where we had care taker commissioners that were appointed by the governor, they weren’t really, I don’t think they were as on top of the issues and I do believe the government bloated a little bit during that period. Then we had the hurricanes and now we’ve started chopping government back down, we’ve cut in 2 years 27 million dollars so we’re getting things back where they need to be.”
Whitehead told WEAR TV that about another 30 jobs would need to be eliminated to get the number of employees back to 2001 levels.