Jane MusgraveLongtime staff attorney David Ottey selected over Wellington Mayor Michael Napoleone and two others.
Following a three decades-old path, Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday elevated a top assistant county attorney to become their chief legal counsel.
David Ottey, who has worked in the county attorney’s office for 20 years, was selected over Wellington Mayor Michael Napoleone, former West Palm Beach Assistant City Attorney K. Denise Haire and Michael W. Jones, who like Ottey served as a chief assistant county attorney.
“I can lead with input and insight from Day One,” Ottey said after his near-unanimous selection to replace County Attorney Denise Coffman.
She announced in August she would resign on Dec. 19 from the roughly $245,000-a-year post she has held since 2021. She was tapped for the top spot when her former boss, County Attorney Denise Nieman retired after 35 years at the county, 25 in the top job.
Six commissioners voted for Ottey, with only County Mayor Maria Marino voting for Napoleone. Ottey’s contract will be negotiated with Coffman’s help in the coming weeks.
The decision came after commissioners spent roughly an hour publicly questioning the four candidates. On Monday, the commissioners interviewed each of the applicants privately.
It was similar to the process used in June when commissioners hired Joe Abruzzo, former clerk and comptroller and state lawmaker, as county administrator.
Like Abruzzo, Napoleone emphasized his experience as an elected official. “I’m the only applicant who has ever walked in your shoes,” he said.
If selected, Napoleone asked to be allowed to remain Wellington mayor until March when an election could be held to pick his replacement. Coffman said that wasn’t allowed under the county charter. A county attorney can’t hold an elected position, she said.
Napoleone also said he would bring an outsider’s perspective to the county attorney’s office that has been recently plagued by high turnover. Also like Abruzzo, he said technological upgrades are needed. The county attorney’s office needs to use artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and to compete with private law firms.
Ottey pushed back against Napoleone’s claims that the office hadn’t joined the technological revolution. When he became a chief assistant county attorney in 2015, he said he began a campaign to improve the software available to the 20 attorneys and their paralegals. It includes the use of AI, he said.
Ottey also prepared a bound booklet for each commissioner, outlining his goals and how he would reach them. He said he would reinstitute evaluations and bolster morale.
“This is not a position to be taken lightly,” Ottey said. “I have proven to be deeply committed to public service over 20 years. I have a full understanding of the legal issues. … I have worked to find legal and practical solutions.”
While commissioners advertised the post nationally, only nine applications were received. Two were rejected because they didn’t meet eligibility requirements. On Thursday, commissioners narrowed the list to four finalists.
After Commissioner Gregg Weiss said he uncovered unsettling information about one of the applicants, commissioners voiced concern that thorough background checks hadn’t been done. David Kahn, the county’s Human Resources director, conducted the checks prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
Editor’s note: This story was amended after publication to change the number of years Denise Nieman spent at the county to 35 from 30.
