Roswell’s decision on a new city administrator is stirring up controversy. Mayor Lori Henry wants to hire the current city manager of Stockbridge, Randy Knighton. Roswell City Council members argued during a special called meeting Tuesday over the timing of Henry’s push to start salary negotiations.
“…This is an excellent candidate with an excellent resume,” Henry said in a Thursday phone interview. “He is off the charts in terms of qualifications and what he can do for the city.
City Council approved moving forward with Knighton as the only finalist in a split vote and he will likely be hired before the Nov. 2 election, council members said. But if Henry doesn’t win reelection, a new mayor and council could decide they want to hire a different city administrator.
Former City Administrator Gary Palmer resigned June 1 without citing a reason. Michael Fischer, the deputy city administrator, is serving as interim city administrator.
Henry, Councilwoman Marie Willsey and Councilmen Matthew Tyser and Matt Judy voted in favor of Knighton as the sole finalist to replace Palmer. Council members Christine Hall, Marcelo Zapata and Mike Palermo were opposed.
Willsey and Judy are running for reelection in addition to Henry. Tyser is not running for reelection and said he plans to run for a seat in the Georgia Legislature next year.
“I could not see any justification on why this couldn’t have waited a few months,” Councilman Mike Palermo said, Thursday. “…I’ve learned in talking to multiple individuals that when it’s unknown who (the elected officials) are going to be, fewer candidates apply.”
In recent weeks, City Council members have met in executive session to discuss city administrator candidates, city spokeswoman Julie Brechbill said.
The city hired Mercer Group search firm to look for suitable candidates and received 33 applications for the position from 15 states, Brechbill said. That was narrowed down to five candidates to be interviewed. Four accepted, she said, and Knighton was chosen as the sole finalist.
Before he became city manager of Stockbridge, Knighton served as the Hall County administrator. He did not appear at the Roswell meeting or return a phone message from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Thursday.
Generally, a city administrator’s salary includes a severance package of up to nine months if the person is fired for no reason, Brechbill confirmed.
Zapata said that if a new mayor decides to fire Knighton and hire a different city administrator, a severance package to Knighton would be an expense that could’ve been avoided by waiting a few more months.
“We have a big election coming,” Zapata said, adding that severance pay would be costly to Roswell to make the change.
Henry said that no severance packages have been discussed but they are part of standard contract negotiations.
“People (administrators) who jump in know the perils and the risks and they know that councils change and they can be fired,” Henry said.
Mayoral candidate and a frequent critic of Henry, Jason Yowell, said if elected he would take measures to remove Knighton from the position.
“If I come in, you could be the greatest candidate in the world, I’m going to fire him,” Yowell told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I can’t trust someone who doesn’t know the lay of the land. I have someone in mind who is well respected and knows where the hidden levers are.”
Henry told the AJC that Knighton would provide stability for a City Council filled with several newly elected officials and she is concerned about efforts to derail the process.
“I, leading the city of Roswell, would much rather have seasoned, experienced elected officials making this decision as opposed to newly elected officials that really don’t even know where to find the bathroom in City Hall,” she said during the Tuesday meeting. “So I think it’s very important that we look to this person to provide stability going forward, particularly if there is a new council.”
Henry said another special called City Council meeting will be held to discuss the city administrator position in two weeks.
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