Charles Oliver
July 14, 2008 07:57 pm
—
Varnell has been without a city manager since February. Without a mayor since May. And now it finds itself without a city clerk.
But Mayor Pro Tem David Owens says the City Council hopes to fill the city manager’s position within the next few weeks and to quickly hire a new clerk.
Owens said city clerk Michelle Ray sent an e-mail of resignation on July 6. Ray is no longer working at City Hall, and Owens said the city has already begun advertising for a new clerk as well as a maintenance supervisor.
Ray took maternity leave in October 2007, and she returned part time in January, according to Owens.
“She couldn’t work out a schedule,” he said, when asked why she resigned. A phone number for Ray could not be found.
Her resignation leaves no one in city offices.
“It’s a situation this council was handed, and we are trying to deal with it as best we can,” said Owens.
“We have a city phone transferred to an employee who works out of the police department,” he said. “We can receive people, but it is on the police side.”
Council members said police administrative assistant Jamie Dunkel will be answering the phone and helping people.
“We’ve got it covered,” said council member Mark Fidler.
City manager Jestin Johnson resigned in February after just five months on the job to take a position with an Atlanta engineering firm.
Long-time mayor Lindsey Metcalf stepped down in May.
City Council members say they have already interviewed two candidates for city manager and they plan to interview three more on Thursday. The city received about 25 applications for the manager’s position, according to council members.
Owens said council members hope to make a selection at their meeting on July 22.
“If we can do that, we will make an offer that week,” he said.
Owens said he hopes the new manager can start in August.
The city will hold an election for mayor on Nov. 4, to coincide with the general election.
“This council made every effort to have a mayoral election on July 15,” said Owens.
The U.S. Justice Department did not give approval for a special election in time to get it on the July ballot.
Council members could have called an election in September, but Owens said they decided to hold off until November rather than take on the expense of a special election.
Council members said the resignations have had an impact.
“It definitely has slowed us down. It hurts the people because they can’t just walk in and take care of the things they need to take care of,” said council member Thomas Burnett.
Owens said because of the turnover the city got behind in its financial reporting. But he said the council has brought in a part-time accountant and reports are complete now through April.
“The projection is that we will be caught up through June in the next three weeks,” he said.
Fidler said Owens, Police Chief Lyle Grant, Dunkel and other city employees have stepped up to help keep things running as smoothly as possible.
“David has done an outstanding job keeping things running, making sure the employees get paid and the garbage gets picked up, and we are delivering the city services we normally do,” Fidler said.
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