David Hufstetler

THOMASVILLE — A Thomasville City Council member who took office Jan. 1 said the “bedrock” of his 2017 campaign was to separate city manager/utilities superintendent into two positions.

For one person to have both titles gives the individual too much power, said Council member David Hufstetler.

Steve Sykes, who held the position until Dec. 31, had a 3-2 lock on city council votes on anything he wanted, regardless of whether it was necessary or needed by the city, Hufstetler said.

The council member said he thought the matter of the utilities superintendent reporting to the city council “had been laid to rest.”

Hufstetler said the city charter says the utilities superintendent will report to the utilities commission, which is the city council.

He previously said the utilities superintendent should report to the city manager.

“If mispoke, then I misspoke,” Hufstetler said.

“It (the city charter) specifically says the city manager and utilities superintendent will be two separate persons,” the council member said.

The position were separated until the early 1990s, when Tom Berry took on dual roles. Upon Berry’s retirement, Sykes assumed both duties.

A representative of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia facilitated a daylong April council retreat. Council members, including Hufstetler, and staff gathered in two groups. Each work group was asked: “Based on the force field analysis and the group discussions, what are the next steps the City of Thomasville should take to be successful in separating the functions of the city manager/city utilities superintendent?”

The following is a list of both groups’ suggested next steps to achieve the goal of separating the functions of the city manager and utilities superintendent:

• Start the process for hiring a city manager

• Begin a charter review

• Create the appropriate organizational chart

• The city manager and utilities superintendent will be two different people

• The utilities superintendent will report to the city manager

• The current charter would have to be amended to reflect that the utilities superintendent will report to the city manager

• The council and the new city manager will establish performance management goals and objectives for the new city manager to meet, which will tie into bonuses, etc.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820