Joanna Coutu fired as Citrus land development director

Joanna Coutu was fired as Citrus County’s land development director, ending her tenure in a county role tied to housing, development and growth decisions.

A change in the county’s growth leadership

Coutu’s departure removes a familiar face from Citrus County’s public growth debate. The land development director’s position is connected to the county’s development work, including issues that affect how new housing and other projects are reviewed.

What is known

The firing is the central development: Coutu no longer serves as the county’s land development director. The information available does not establish when the firing took place, who made the decision or who will take over the position.

What comes next

The county’s next steps will determine how the land development office is led and how its ongoing work is handled. Any announcement about an interim or permanent replacement would clarify the office’s direction.

Coutu’s firing changes the personnel involved in Citrus County’s growth discussions, but it does not by itself resolve the broader questions surrounding housing and development.