Commissioners set timeline to narrow county‑attorney applicants; debate use of FACA review

Palm Beach County commissioners spent extensive time discussing the recruitment and selection process for the county attorney position, clarifying next steps and debating whether to employ an outside vetting body.

Key facts and procedure - Applications and eligibility: Staff reported 10 total applications were received; 8 met the eligibility standards the board had set. - Outside review: Staff proposed forwarding eligible candidates to the Florida Association of County Attorneys (FACA) for review and recommendations. Commissioners split on whether FACA should be used given the relatively small candidate pool. - Narrowing and timeline: The board directed commissioners to review the eight eligible resumes and come to the county zoning workshop on Thursday with each commissioner’s top choices (the board discussed submitting individual top‑4 lists). The board discussed holding one‑on‑one interviews on a Monday and public interviews on the following Tuesday in early November (staff said they could return November 4 with a vetted list and proceed the following week to interviews, subject to calendar adjustments).

Board concerns and decisions Commissioners emphasized that any narrowing of candidates and final selection must occur in public meetings (county attorney advised that votes and ranking must be done in public). Several commissioners said they had already reviewed resumes and could provide their top picks at the upcoming workshop. A majority of board members said they believed FACA’s review might be unnecessary given eight eligible applicants, and some urged the board to proceed directly. Others supported allowing FACA to provide a recommendation, but with the board retaining the right to add any candidate it wished to the interview slate.

Practical notes and next steps - Staff said candidate materials would be posted on the county website for public transparency. - Administratively the board settled on keeping the window open for candidates to reserve October 27–28 (workshop days) or the November 3–4 meetings for interviews, with staff offering to notify the eight applicants to hold those dates. - Commissioners acknowledged transition timing for any selected candidate who may be in private practice (Bar rules and client transition typically require 30 days or more).

Ending: The board did not take a final vote on selection rules but provided direction to post materials, notify candidates to hold dates, and return with a narrowed list following the workshop; commissioners will submit top slate choices at the Thursday zoning meeting.