By David DeCamp, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Pinellas County Commissioner Norm Roche will get to keep his $43,000-a-year assistant.
After a tense, televised dispute that ended with commissioners deciding not to give Roche permission to hire an aide, the same group met off camera Tuesday and decided to let him keep his aide.
Roche had fought the group's Nov. 16 decision, and hired an aide two days later. The majority of the commission was against the hiring because members had decided in June against filling any future aide vacancies as a cost-cutting strategy.
On Tuesday, they agreed to allow Roche to keep his aide at least until next summer's annual budget decisions. The other commissioners all have aides.