Members of the Cobb County commission are considering scrutinizing County Manager David Hankerson’s contract later this month, three months before it automatically renews for another year at the end of January.
The discussion surrounding Hankerson's contract comes as the county manager's leadership has been under the microscope after questionable spending decisions and practices have come to light. Although commissioners said the possible formal request is not a question of Hankerson's performance, a formal review by commissioners could set the stage for discussions of Hankerson's future with the county.
“I’m not looking at the contract relative to performance. This is the only contract of this type in the county and it’s coming up for renewal,” said Commissioner Bob Ott. “We are just being good stewards of the citizens’ money.”
Hankerson’s current contract expires Jan. 31, 2011. Under the contract’s terms, his contract is renewed for another 12 months unless the commission or county manager formally notifies the other party. The request must be made 90 days before the contract expires, which would be Oct. 31. If commissioners were to request a formal review, an agenda item would have to be considered at its next meeting Oct. 26.
No formal agenda item has been filed, Ott said.
Before being questioned by reporters, Hankerson said he had not heard about any possible contract review from the commissioners.
“The only thing I’ve heard from is third party, so I don’t even know what the issues are,” he said.”
The current contract included an 8 percent salary increase, an amount approved by commissioners above the 5 percent increase standard in his contract. Hankerson's 2010 salary was $239,731.46.
“Evaluations in the county are done in January or February, but in this case, action has to be taken 90 days before the contract expires. So it’s interesting that evaluations are done after the fact,” said Commissioner Thea Powell. “You would think that in circumstances like that you would look at the period of the contract and do evaluations before renewing it.”
Powell did her own informal review of Hankerson’s contract in September, and knew it was slated for renewal.
“I was curious as to who had drafted it. It was a very generous contract,” both in the amount and the renewal terms, she said. “When we talk about perks I think there were some significant perks that were included.”
Hankerson has been county manager in Cobb since 1993.
Contract documents over the years show commissioners approved a salary increase of 7 percent in 2005 and 5 percent in 2002 and 1999. The contract also includes a deferred compensation retirement plan, which equaled $22,000 this year.
In addition to health and dental benefits, Hankerson also receives a $7,200 travel allowance this year in lieu of a county vehicle.
“At this point in time we’re just looking at [the contract] like we’re looking at other things as a cost matter,” said Commissioner Woody Thompson. “It’s got some percentages and increases in it that we need to take a look at.”
Thompson declined to discuss Hankerson’s performance, saying those issues are handled during evaluations.
In the past few months, media reports have revealed that county leaders arranged for a questionable no-bid contract, involving one of Hankerson's friends, for four dump trucks. They also considered an $800 per day contract for the retiring elections director before Powell balked at the price and the timing of the request; and earlier this month The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reported that the county spent $78,000 on a pair of mules to be used at an historic farm that had not yet been fully developed.
Some commissioners also were upset with Hankerson after they say he disregarded their direction to stop renovating a house for a caretaker to live on county parkland in southwest Cobb.
The county’s parks department spent thousands on the renovation after Thompson and Ott told Hankerson to stop the work.
Hankerson confirmed that Thompson and Ott told him to stop, but says he later got permission from Thompson to start back up again, which Thompson denies.
“I was aware that my contract was coming up at the end of January,” Hankerson said. “I’ve turned down job offers. I didn’t take the early retirement incentive. If I had planned to retire I would have taken the [incentive]. But to not take the [incentive] and to all of a sudden be put on notice, if that’s what this is, that they don’t intend to renew my contract, I wish they would have told me back during that time.”
Staff writer Tim Eberly contributed to this story.
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