Wednesday, September 11, 2002
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Wednesday, September 11, 2002 |
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Halterman named interim city manager as search to replace 18-year vet Basinger begins By CAL BEVERLY
European parliaments have a name for it: Loss of confidence. Longtime City Manager Jim Basinger last week read the political signs from the remade Peachtree City Council majority and gave his bosses a two-week resignation notice Friday. His departure by Sept. 20 continues a sweep of the City Hall Old Guard by the new council that began with the election of Dan Tennant in late 1999 and concluded with the elections of Steve Brown, Murray Weed and Steve Rapson last fall. The change at the top also signals a consolidation of power under new majority management. Council named Colin Halterman to serve as the interim city manager while the search for a new city manager is ongoing, a City Hall news release said Tuesday. Halterman will assume his new responsibilities Sept. 17. Halterman is currently the director of public services, a position he has held for nearly 18 years. In a written statement, Basinger said he decided to retire "after being advised that the (city) council has not made a decision regarding the renewal of my contract." Basinger's departure is the third significant personnel change for the city in previous weeks. Recently, City Attorney Rick Lindsey also resigned, and he was preceded by Jim Williams, longtime head of the city's planning and inspection services, who decided to accept a job as Fairburn city manager. Basinger's contract with the city requires notification by Sept. 30 if either party chose not to automatically renew the deal, which compensated him $100,200 a year. Basinger was hired 18 years ago during another Brown administration, that one under Mayor Fred Brown. Basinger was the city's first full-time city manager. He had recently retired from the military when he came to Peachtree City. During Basinger's tenure, Peachtree City has grown dramatically in population while having one of the smaller employee to population ratios in metro Atlanta. "There is no doubt in my mind that the operation of each division will continue to function at the highest level of proficiency and productivity, because each of you will continue to do your job to the best of your ability," Basinger said. Political rumors had circulated that Basinger had been involved with a rival political faction in an effort to discredit the current mayor. The controversy came to a head Friday when former Mayor Bob Lenox acted as the prosecutor in a magistrate court hearing on charges Lenox had brought against Brown, accusing him of theft of city services. The charges involved a city secretary who volunteered on city time to take Brown's daughter to golf camp while he attended a meeting with county officials. No warrants were issued (See related story on this page). Brown and Basinger in an unusual joint press release Monday took pains to distinguish Basinger's role in that controversy from the decision to resign. The press release says that Administrative Services Director Jane Miller first notified Basinger of the matter being a possible ethics violation minutes before Brown's meeting, which was with county officials to negotiate the Local Option Sales Tax distribution formula. At the time, Basinger decided the LOST meeting took priority, knowing Brown wouldn't have time to make other arrangements for his daughter. Basinger had to wait until after the LOST meeting to broach the issue with Brown, who responded by picking up his daughter from golf camp so the secretary would not do so. Later, Brown penned a letter of apology to city residents for his oversight. In that letter, Brown offered to repay the city to compensate for the employee's time. He has said since he wants the city's ethics board to hear the matter and determine how much he owes. Also since then, the matter was fashioned into a criminal complaint against Brown for alleged theft of city services by former Mayor Bob Lenox. Under cross-examination Friday, Lenox said he was angered by the report of Brown's use of a secretary for baby-sitting but could not recall from whom he heard the report. The complaint was dismissed by Fayette Magistrate Joe Tinsley after a hearing on the issue Friday. Basinger penned a sentimental good-bye letter to notify city employees of his decision. In the letter, he thanks city workers for "first-class" customer service. "Please know and take pride in the fact that you give our citizens much, much more than a dollar's worth of service for each and every tax dollar they pay," Basinger said. "Please also know that I truly appreciate your professionalism, your work ethic, your dedication to the city, and most of all your friendship. "... It has been truly a joy working with each one of you, and I will always treasure the memories. I will miss you." Reporting by JOHN MUNFORD (jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com).
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