Roswell mayor Jere Wood and the city council have made their recommendation as to who should be the city’s next administrator.

Leaders have chosen Gary Palmer as the finalist, and will formally vote on approving his appointment on Oct. 10 following committee meetings at 5 p.m.

Palmer has been the assistant town manager in Farragut, Tennessee. He is a veteran of the Marine Corps, a graduate of the University of Toledo and has certifications from Harvard University and the University of Virginia.

A release says that Palmer has more than 25 years of experience in local government.

“Gary Palmer will bring a lot of experience and enthusiasm to the job,” Wood said in a statement. “There is going to be a transition period for the city next year with a new mayor and new council members, and I believe he is up for that challenge.”

If approved, Palmer will succeed Kay Love, who resigned from her duties in May after 13 years as city administrator. Palmer will be tasked with being Roswell's chief operating officer, managing more than 30 city departments, 600 full-time employees and a $146 million budget.

“I’m looking forward to working with a team of highly professional department directors and staff and a mayor and council who are dedicated to maintaining the health of the organization and the community they serve,” Palmer said in a statement.

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