Tuesday, December 28, 2010

St. Augustine Record 12/23 story on WILLIAM B. HARRISS, former City Manager

Where are they now: Bill Harriss

Posted: December 23, 2010 - 12:04am

In the news: St. Augustine City Manager Bill Harriss retired June 29 after 25 years of working for the city, including 12 as city manager.

Harriss is known for his dislike of "fru-fru stuff," as he calls emotional moments. His send-off speech was short and to the point: "While I appreciate that all of you are here, I've tried to keep the city's interests first. That's what's important."

What he's doing now: Retirement hasn't changed him much.

"I've been playing lots of golf, and I've been working on an addition on the house," Harriss said.

Throw in two or three trips to the mountains of North Carolina ("When it was hotter; not now.") and you have an idea of how retirement is going.

He's planning on going on a hunting trip to West Florida where he'll sit in a stand at the top of a tree and wait for a big enough buck. If it's not the right size, he'll just enjoy the outdoors. It's been four years, he noted, since he's seen a buck the right size.

Harriss hasn't lost his interest in the city:

"It's fun to watch from the sidelines and not to have the baton in your hand. I'm never going to forget my children, which is the city ... sometimes you have to let them fly on their own."

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