County Official Hickey a Finalist for Florida Post

County Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey, whose controversial employment contract has languished for 16 months, is a finalist for the post of city manager of St. Petersburg, Fla.

The St. Petersburg City Council on Wednesday narrowed a pool of seven candidates to Hickey and two others, intending to choose among those three in mid-March.

Hickey, 64, who has been San Diego County’s top administrator since 1986 but still maintains a home in the Hillsborough County, Fla., community of Apollo Beach, said Wednesday he was eager for the next round.

“This is an opportunity for me to come back to Florida, quite candidly,” he said.

Hickey also plans to interview March 2 in Miami Beach for a position there.

Popular and well-regarded in San Diego, Hickey is paid $134,000 annually. He has been working on a handshake agreement since October, 1990. Negotiations for a new contract stalled late last year over an unusual clause in his proposed contract.

The provision would have allowed Hickey to step down from his post in January, 1993, but remain as a $26-per-year special employee for the ensuing three years, giving him the 10 years of service he needs to be vested in the county’s pension plan. Hickey has said he wants to ensure his wife’s security should he die suddenly.

The retirement plan sparked debate when details were revealed in November. The matter is particularly sensitive in light of a request by county officials that the county’s more than 15,000 employees take a week off without pay because of a shortfall in the current budget.

Alicia Caldwell in St. Petersburg contributed to this report.