Albany City Commission drafts CFO Derrick Brown to serve as interim city manager

ALBANY – Looking for a firm hand to steer the ship during the transition to a new permanent city manager, the city of Albany turned to long-time employee Derrick Brown to fill the role on an interim basis.

Brown, the city’s chief financial officer, has worked for the city for nearly 14 years and has worked in finance since he came onboard in September 2010.

The Albany City Commission unanimously selected Brown on Tuesday to serve as interim city manager while it engages in a search for a permanent replacement for outgoing City Manager Steven Carter, who will assume the same position later this month in Portsmouth, Va.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Brown said during an interview at the conclusion of Tuesday’s commission meeting. “We’ve got a ton of experts throughout the organization that I look forward to working with.

“I think it will be challenging and exciting at the same time, and I just look to help the city maintain continuity.”

Brown’s financial expertise should come in handy, as one of the commission’s main tasks over the next few months will be the approval of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget by June 30.

The incoming interim city manager said he also sees some challenges there. Planning for next year’s budget process will be a primary focus for Brown

“This will be the most challenging (budget) I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of difficult decisions ahead of us.”

One budget item that will play a role in that difficulty is an employee pay increase for six months of the current budget. Now the city will have to pay for those pay increases over an entire 12 months.

“It costs to do that, but it’s the right thing to do,” Brown said. “We’ll have to maintain that going for an entire fiscal year. That will make it challenging.”

The employee pension fund is another area that could provide some challenges. The city also is working to fund the cost of a sewage system overhaul that includes separating stormwater from sewage to meet environmental requirements that was initially projected to cost $105 million but whose estimated costs have grown to about $130 million.

“I’ve always been involved in how we pay for that (and) how we manage the impact on citizens and ratepayers,” Brown said.

During the Tuesday meeting, city staff reported that three firms have submitted proposals for assisting in the search for a new city manager. The costs for those proposals range from $7,500 for the lowest price to a high bid of $28,200.

Brown’s experience should help him guide the city through the search period, Ward IV Commissioner Chad Warbington said of the choice.

“We’re excited about Derrick,” Warbington said during a telephone interview. “He’s pretty much the backbone of our finances. That is especially important going into our budget.

“Overall, Derrick is respected, well thought of, has a great leadership style and works well with all of us. I don’t think we’ll miss a beat.”

Brown’s salary will be boosted by $2,300 per month during his time as interim city manager.

File PhotoAlanMauldin[email protected]