A few weeks ago former Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss told the AJC that “the great thing about retirement is that you can tell people ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ You have the time to wait on opportunities, if any come along.”
Turns out, a big one came calling. On Tuesday night Sandy Springs’ city council unanimously (6-0) approved hiring Merriss as interim city manager. Her contract states that she starts 5 p.m. August 2, though her actual first day is Monday August 5. She’ll get paid $17,000 monthly through December 31 although, she said, there’s a possibility it could go longer.
“Between now [and August 5] I’ll be reading and researching the budget and council priorities,” said Merriss, who retired from Decatur last December. “It’s a strong organization, strong staff and strong elective officials. In many ways it’s similar to Decatur though it’s a lot larger. They have a large performing arts center (Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center), which is very exciting. They are working on a lot of transportation projects, like we did in Decatur.”
She replaces John McDonough who’s leaving for the manager’s job in Greenville, South Carolina. McDonough has been Sandy Springs’ only manager, coming aboard in January 2006, shortly after that city’s incorporation.
Merriss worked 35½ years for Decatur including the last 25½ as its longest-serving manager since the city adopted the council management model in 1924.
She presided over Decatur’s ripening from a small southern burg frozen in the 1950s into a thriving township often discussed nationally in city planning and government circles.
Decatur’s population has grown to around 25,000 while Sandy Springs stands at 107,000. Merriss says she’ll stay as long as the city needs an interim, but won’t apply for the permanent position.
Recently Merriss was inducted into the Municipal Government Hall of Fame along with the late Eva Cohn Galambos, Sandy Springs’ founding mayor. Since retiring Merriss said she’s been attending a number of national conferences regarding organizational training and development. She’s also been helping Decatur craft its e scooter ordinance, tentatively scheduled to come before the commission in September.
“My immediate goal is to keep this organization strong and on the right track until they get their new manager,” Merriss said. “I expect this to be a wonderful experience.”
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