Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard to appoint city manager committee

ALBANY — Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard announced Tuesday that she plans to appoint a three-person committee to look over applications for the city manager position currently held on an interim basis by Tom Berry.

Hubbard said the City Commission suggested the committee after a lengthy executive session in which its members discussed property acquisition and a personnel matter.

“The commission has suggested that I appoint a three-person committee to look at the applications we’ve received for the city manager position,” Hubbard said after reconvening the board. “I believe that committee should be made up of Commissioner (Jon) Howard, who has expressed an interest in being part of the committee, Commissioner (Tommie) Postell and Commissioner (Bob) Langstaff.

“The committee would screen the applicants and bring their recommendations back to the entire commission. I think these three gentlemen would be ideal for this assignment because they have a great deal of experience. But we want them to let the other commissioners know when they plan to meet to look over the applications so that anyone who wants can be a part of the process.”

Hubbard said the city has gotten “between 25 and 30” applications for the city manager position.

Berry, who previously served as interim general manager of the city’s Water, Gas & Light Commission, has served as interim city manager since early July of last year. He has committed to staying in Albany through the process of finding a permanent city manager.

“There are a lot of things we’ve got going right now that I’d like to see done before I go,” Berry said Tuesday. “Obviously, we won’t be able to get to all of them, but we’ll keep working to get as many done as possible. I’d really like to see the city keep the momentum going that it has right now.”

One of the key issues on Berry and the City Commission’s collective plates right now is an incentive plan that will allow the city to cut an estimated $6 million in salary through an early-retirement plan. The savings will help the city and Albany Utility Board wean itself from an infusion of Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia credits that have brought around $9 million to the city for each of the past seven years. Those credits will run out at the end of 2018.