Former county exec wants to come home

Robert Michael Herr hopes to prove wrong the well-worn adage that "You Can't Go Home Again."

Herr not only wants to come back to Hernando County, where he occupied two of the top government positions for seven years, but he wants to become the next county administrator and help lift the area out of its current economic quagmire.

"I view this as an excellent opportunity to come back to a community I used to serve and make it even better," said Herr, one of 16 people who have applied for the vacant administrator position.

From November 1985 to October 1987, Herr was the director of the county's public works department. Then from October 1987 to May 1992, he served as deputy Hernando County administrator.

After leaving Hernando County, Herr took a job as director of public works with the City of Lakeland and stayed in that position for six years.

From 1998-2003, he was transportation department director for Polk County before becoming manager of Polk County from 2003-2010.

Currently, Herr is president of Econ South, a private sector engineering, development and management services firm out of Lakeland.

Herr, 59, said he yearns to return to public sector management and believes his tutelage under County Administrator Chuck Hetrick – who was the county's longest-serving administrator and generally regarded by government officials as being one of the last effective leaders – will serve him well today.

"I would like to go back and maybe finish some of the things that we started," he said.

Under Hetrick's watch, the county created a management team, built up its roads, utilities and other infrastructure, Herr said. The county got a new government center, library and improvements were made to the landfill.

If he was county administrator, Herr said he would continue to stress Hernando County's position as part of the regional Tampa metropolitan area to leverage jobs.

When he was county manager in Polk County, Herr said he was able to use that county's strategic position between Tampa and Orlando as a means to entice new business.

"We don't want to be lagging," Herr said. "We want to be a leader and competitive and market ourselves as a region and create jobs."

Herr said he would look at some outdated government regulations that are keeping business from thriving.

He describes himself as a "people-person" and intends to foster effective community relationships.

Herr said he is a proponent of transparency in government and wants the residents to know how their tax dollars are being spent.

Herr said he welcomes the chance to interview with county commissioners if he makes the cut.

"I expect competition to be tough and at the end of the day the board will select the best person," Herr said.

"I've heard good things about him," County Commissioner Dave Russell said of Herr.

But Russell said he will reserve judgment until all the applications have been received.

"We've got some time to go," Russell said.

The cutoff for applications is Feb. 24.

Jim Freeman served as deputy county manager under Herr. He took over the top spot after Herr left to go into a private sector job.

Freeman said he left Polk County under good circumstances and it was his decision to move into a new endeavor.

"He was very energetic and very passionate about excellence," Freeman said. "I think he clearly gave a lot of energy to the job and he got a lot of results."

Freeman said Herr was responsible for pushing forward major infrastructure improvements in Polk County, including roads and water-wastewater projects.

June Ester, county commissioner under Hetrick-Herr, believes Herr would be a great pick for Hernando County.

"I think he should be very seriously (considered) because he's familiar with the county and he's familiar with the Florida Sunshine law and all the other laws that pertain to county and state government," Ester said.

Ester remembers Herr as being "personable, very, very knowledgeable (with) a real outgoing personality."

"If he wants to come home, I'd love to see him come home," she said.