Jun. 8--Broward's chief administrator has chosen a recently fired airport director from California to run the county aviation department, after two other candidates turned down offers.
On Tuesday, county commissioners are expected to vote on whether to hire Richard Stephen Walsh or form a committee to study County Administrator Pam Brangaccio's recommendation to hire Walsh, the former director of the Palm Springs International Airport.
The hire comes at a crucial time for Broward: Early Wednesday morning county commissioners approved a controversial $695 million runway expansion. The next director will guide the county through that project and other construction at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
A few county commissioners Thursday said they want more information about Walsh, including the reasons he was fired, his experience overseeing construction and relationships with the airlines.
"He has never had an airport of our size to run," Commissioner Sue Gunzburger said.
"I am really interested in finding out why Palm Springs didn't want to keep him."
Palm Springs City Manager David Ready fired Walsh from his director of aviation position in April, according to reports in two California newspapers, The Press Enterprise in Riverside and The Desert Sun in Palm Springs. Walsh had served in that position since February 2004.
Walsh and Ready could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Ready told the California papers in April that they had "conflicting management styles."
A few days before Walsh was fired, the City Council approved creating a new position that Walsh would have reported to, the newspapers reported. And a new terminal project was also plagued with delays and cost overruns, The Desert Sun reported.
But Deputy County Administrator Bertha Henry defended Walsh.
"That project was in play before he got there," Henry said, referring to the terminal project.
Walsh was instrumental in turning around the financially-plagued airport, she said. He increased income from rental car leases, cut staff, refinanced bonds and generated revenue by selling off airport property, according to his resume.
Brangaccio has suggested the mayor form a committee that could bring Walsh in for an interview with commissioners to talk about his experiences and why he was terminated, Henry said. Commissioners met Walsh at a reception earlier this year.
Brangaccio's top choice, Ron Mathieu who formerly worked for the airport department in Broward and is now deputy director at Little Rock, Ark., turned down the job, citing personal reasons. Her second choice as of Tuesday -- the day county commissioners started a meeting on the runway expansion -- was James Fazio, chief operating officer of Kennedy airport's international terminal in New York. But he withdrew by Thursday.
"His bosses have sweetened the pot," Henry said.
If hired, Walsh would earn $175,000 salary plus a $450 monthly car allowance.
Walsh also held management positions at airports in San Francisco and Pittsburgh.
Bob Bielek has served as the interim director since Tom Jargiello resigned last fall.
Brangaccio has said she hopes that Bielek, who applied for the director position, remains as deputy director.
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