In 2007, St. Lucie County, FL, had one of the highest home foreclosure rates in the country. The county was financially sound so, rather than wait for federal stimulus money to trickle down, county commissioners decided to stimulate the local economy by earmarking funds for “shovel-ready” capital projects.

In late 2008, county staff began researching the possibility of creating a “local state of emergency,” which would allow the county to hire local companies rather than the lowest bidder for projects. Stipulations included that the local contractor had to be within 5 percent of the lowest bid, 75 percent of the labor had to be from the county, and 75 percent of the materials had to be purchased in the county.

County commission hearings elicited overwhelming support from the public. Capital costs to complete 92 projects exceeded $37 million. Despite fears that paperwork to document the residency of workers would drive up the cost of the construction jobs, the first project came in at nearly $2 million less than what county staff had estimated.

Meet the Manager

Faye Outlaw

Former County Administrator

Faye Outlaw, who had served as St. Lucie County administrator since January 2009, says it was her lifelong dream to be a city or county manager. She was St. Lucie's first female and first African-American county manager. In 2011, American City & County magazine named Faye County Leader of the Year for helping "her community withstand the strong winds of financial challenges by creating a sustainable future. Faye resigned from St. Lucie County in 2013.