By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Differing management styles brought a parting of the ways between Fayette County Manager Billy Beckett and the County Commission this week.

Beckett, 51, has been terminated with a year's pay as severance.

“My managerial style and philosophy are fairly well solidified at this point in my career,” said Beckett, who has been the county's top appointed official for 15 and a half years. “I've been at this [public service] since 1974, and it's hard to get a leopard to change his spots.”

Although individual commissioners have had problems with his management style in the past, Beckett said, the majority has not... until now.

Current commissioners want more involvement in the day to day operation of the county, he said.

“The board has been pretty direct with me in the past about wanting me to do more in support of them,” said Beckett Tuesday.

He said the county has traditionally used a “council/manager” type government style, but individual opinions differ as to what that means. His own interpretation, Beckett said, has been that the appointed manager is “responsible for the day to day administration of government, and it's the board's role to make policy and provide for appropriate rules and regulations to set the framework.”

In the past, commissioners have gone through the county manager rather than dealing directly with department heads and employees, Beckett said, but the current board seems to want more involvement. “I think they would prefer more involvement in the specific activities of government, and that's clearly their prerogative to do that,” he said.

Commission Chairman Harold Bost met with Beckett Monday morning and gave him an option of resigning or allowing the commissioners to invoke an involuntary separation clause in his five-year contract, Beckett said, adding, “The board wanted whatever would be best for me.”

A voluntary resignation would leave Beckett no access to severance pay, so he opted to be let go, he said.

Severance pay, he added, “gives me the opportunity to take some time and explore some new adventures and new challenges and still keep my head above water financially.”

In addition to his job with the county, Beckett is an official with the collegiate Southeastern Conference, and referees in a variety of sports settings. That will keep him busy, along with family matters, until he decides what direction his career will take next, he said. He will check trade newsletters and contact job search firms, but has no specific direction in mind, he said.

“I hope an opportunity will present itself reasonably soon,” he added.

Beckett said he has “absolutely no hard feelings toward the board,” and feels no shame at having been fired.

In fact, Beckett's 15-year tenure is one of the longest in the state for people in his job. City and county managers are almost hired to be fired, kind of like football coaches,” he said. “It's part of life.

“Had I done something terribly wrong I would be ashamed, but I'm not ashamed of my track record in Fayette County,” he added.

Beckett came to Fayette in 1985, when the county's population was less than half what it is now, and was at the helm during Fayette's most rapid growth spurts.

During his tenure, the county has won numerous state and national awards for financial reporting, constituent service and other functions, and the Atlanta Regional Commission recently placed Fayette at the top of metro Atlanta counties for quality of life.

“I'm proud of many of the people I've served with, and I'm nuts about this staff,” Beckett said. “It's a great group of people from department heads to employees.”

He added that although he hired most of the key people in the county government, he doesn't expect a mass exodus upon his departure. “The county needs the people that are in place,” he said. “If anyone is thinking like that, I hope they'll take a deep breath and take a look at the short- and long-term consequences.

“Change and adversity can be very positive,” he added. “I think this is a good opportunity for a new beginning for everyone.”