An Augusta committee approved amending the job description for the city administrator to require six months of experience as an administrator rather than the stated three to five years.
Augusta has been without a permanent administrator since Odie Donald resigned 11 months ago to become chief of staff for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. Donald’s prior experience consisted of two years and nine months as city manager for the city of South Fulton.
Mayor Garnett Johnson, who took office last week and to whom local laws give a role in selecting the administrator, questioned the wisdom of shortening the experience requirement.
“I think as we advertise the job, we want to make sure we get the most qualified people, regardless of where they live or who they are,” he said. “I think paying someone upwards of $200,000 and diminishing the role to six months of experience is not the direction to move; that’s just my two cents.”
Former Central Services Director Takiyah Douse, a city employee since 2008, has served as interim administrator since Donald resigned at a salary of $190,000 and would be eligible to apply under the amended requirement. Several commissioners, including Jordan Johnson, favor Douse for the permanent role. Johnson made the motion Tuesday to approve amending the experience requirement.
“It would be wrong if we didn’t allow certain people to apply for the job,” Johnson said.
Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Garrett said the commission should look at the experience requirement as well as what the administrator’s powers are, particularly with department heads. Most unelected department heads report directly to the 10-member commission.
Commissioner Bobby Williams said the city needed to “move forward” with the process and let Johnson select three from among whoever applied. He said as a retired public school administrator, he knew many who were not “worth their weight in salt.”
“They couldn’t lead a dog to water, a horse to the grind or whatever, and sometimes you’ve got some people who haven’t been in as long, but are a lot better than the people that have been there for 20 years,” Williams said.
“In the end, the mayor will get to choose the three. He can eliminate the people that have six months or one year and go with somebody he likes. In the end the commission will vote on the last person of the three that the mayor selects.”
The city code states the mayor “shall present as many as three top candidates… along with his recommendation” for administrator, while the administrator “shall be elected/appointed by a majority vote of the commission.”
“I suggest we just approve it, and we not just sit here and go back and forth about something that’s not really important,” Williams continued.
Garnett Johnson added that reducing the experience requirement will “create an opportunity where a lot of people who really aren’t qualified for the role perhaps apply.”
For Donald’s hire, the commission formed a committee that approved his job description and approved hiring an executive search firm to conduct the search, Human Resources Director Anita Rookard said. General Counsel Wayne Brown said based on past practices, Augusta could begin advertising the position on March 1 and start interviews 60 days later.
Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle, who was previously in office when the commission refused to reduce experience requirements that would have allowed former interim administrator and IT Director Tameka Allen or Interim Deputy Administrator Steve Cassell to apply for the positions, said it wasn’t fair to change the requirements now.
During that selection process, the commission decided against Mayor Deke Copenhaver’s recommendation and selected former administrator Janice Allen Jackson, one of Copenhaver’s finalists, for the post.
“This is the most important position we have in Augusta-Richmond County, and we’ve got to follow that leadership that he or she presents to this body. To lower this standard, you’re going to have every Tom, Dick and Harry applying for it, which is going to be catastrophic for the person who’s going to be doing the interview process,” Guilfoyle said.
The vote to approve the amendment was 3-0 with Chairwoman Francine Scott, Vice Chairman Tony Lewis and Johnson voting yes. Member Sean Frantom was absent. The amendment now goes to the full commission for approval.
In other action, the city Public Safety committee did not consider an agenda addition requested by Garrett at the rescheduled Monday meeting, due to Williams’ opposition. The addition was a new contract with Gold Cross EMS, which holds the regional designation as Augusta’s EMS provider. The contract calls for Augusta to pay Gold Cross a $1.95 million annual subsidy in exchange for maintaining certain service levels and reporting requirements.
