DEL.ICIO.USMetro county managers tend to play musical chairs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, January 19, 2009
As one of the most experienced and longest-serving county managers in metro Atlanta, David Hankerson is used to hearing from other municipalities interested in his services.
“I don’t talk about it,” Hankerson said of rumors around the county building in recent weeks about attempts by officials in neighboring Paulding County to hire the 16-year Cobb County manager for its top administrative job.
Hankerson said his discussions with Paulding were mostly informal, since its new county commission chairman had not yet taken office. The talks ended last month when Paulding officials agreed they could not match Hankerson’s $264,178 salary and benefits package, one of the highest in metro Atlanta for government executives.
“I made staff aware, but you get rumors running rampant, and most of them are filled with untruths,” said Hankerson. “I just let them go.
“But I’ve heard them before.”
When the recession is taking its toll on local governments’ ability to provide services, the tenures of county managers and administrators can be short.
“There’s always a market, because there’s a lot of turnover throughout the state,” said Jim Grubiak, chief counsel of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. He estimates the average time on the job for a county manager is around three or four years.
“The life span is volatile,” he said. “There’s a demand to replace whoever resigned with someone who has a good reputation.”
Hankerson, 62, oversees Cobb’s $335 million operating budget and 4,649 employees. County officials credit Hankerson and his leadership team with Cobb’s sound fiscal management and its reputation for providing first-rate county services.
Paulding has a population of 120,000, compared with 691,000 in Cobb.
Paulding’s last administrator, Patricia Crooks, oversaw 768 full-time employees and a $61 million budget. She stepped down from the position Dec. 31. County Commission Chairman David Austin did not return repeated phone calls last week.
More than 100 counties in Georgia have a county manager or administrator to whom county commissioners delegate the duties of overseeing budgets, supervising departments and handling the day-to-day affairs of municipal business.
Commissions in Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett delegate administrative duties to their county managers. In Clayton County, commission chairman Eldrin Bell handles the day-to-day duties.
Former DeKalb County Chief Executive Vernon Jones had a hand in almost every decision made in the county. His successor, University of Pennsylvania graduate Burrell Ellis, retains clear executive authority but will also work through a cabinet of half a dozen assistants.
Years ago, you didn’t see county managers outside the metro area, but that’s been the trend for the last 10 to 15 years, according to Grubiak.
“It’s been understood by county officials that it pays to have someone with management experience,” he said.
Hankerson served as head of Cobb’s community development department for eight years before becoming county manager.
In 2007, he was given a three-year contract extension, with an 8 percent raise. In a belt-tightening move, county officials recently announced that no employees would receive merit raises, including department heads.
Paul Paulson, head of the Cobb Parks Coalition, said the county manager will face a challenge in maintaining Cobb’s fiscal strength as previously steady economic growth slows down.
“From my experience, I believe this is a guy who really earns the money,” Paulson said. “They know he can take care of business.”
— Staff writers Patrick Fox, Ty Tagami, Eric Stirgus, D.L. Bennett and Megan Matteucci contributed to this report.
WHAT TOP ADMINISTRATORS EARN
COBB
County manager: David Hankerson
Time in job: 16 years
Salary: $264,178 includes base salary and benefits package
Perks: $7,200 annual travel allowance
CITY OF ATLANTA
Chief operating officer: Greg Giornelli
Time in job: 18 months
Salary: $213,372 base salary; currently $192,035 with 10 percent city-mandated furlough.
Perks: City-issued BlackBerry
GWINNETT COUNTY
County administrator: Jock Connell
Time in job: Four years
Salary: $234,090 base salary
Perks: Deferred compensation contribution equal to maximum amount allowed under federal tax law ($22,000 for 2009); $300 biweekly car allowance; an additional 80 hours of annual vacation leave
FULTON COUNTY
County Manager: Zachary Williams
Time in job: One year
Salary: $200,000 includes base salary and benefits
Perks: Use of a take-home county vehicle
DEKALB COUNTY
Executive assistant: Keith Barker
Time in job: One month
Salary: $200,000 includes base salary and benefits. (His predecessor, Richard Stogner, earned $236,000)
Perks: Not available
CLAYTON COUNTY
Commission chairman: Eldrin Bell (handles day-to-day affairs)
Salary: $142,733 base salary
Perks: $5,000 annual expense account
(Bell’s chief of staff, Alex Cohilas, earns $130,000.)
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