Citizens Want a Second Library for Roswell
Posted December 29, 2007
Details from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Commissioners Condemn Commission Reform Plan
Posted December 29, 2007
No surprise there.
Details from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Legislative Committee Recommends
Reducing Size of County Commission
Posted December 18, 2007
A committee set up last year to advise the Georgia Legislature on how to
reform Fulton County's government in light of several new cities taking on
many of the services formerly provided by the county is proposing that the
number of county commissioners be cut from seven to five.
The panel proposes other changes in county governance as well, including
stripping away most of the duties - and staff - of
the much-criticized county sheriff's department.
Although none of the
proposed changes directly affect the county's library operations,
the proposed restructuring of the commission, the proposed enlargement of
powers for the commission chair, combined with the recent loss of county
responsibilities and prerogatives - and revenue - resulting from the county's
recent "municipalization" will doubtless have indirect but significant
long-range consequences for the future of the county's libraries.
Legislators could act on the committee's recommendations as early as
January 2008.
Fulton Commissioners Select Next County Manager
Posted December 11, 2007
From the November 2007 issue of Inside Fulton:
At a special call [sic] meeting on November 20, 2007, the Fulton
County Board of Commissioners named Zachary Williams as the new County
Manager, pending final contract negotiations.
Williams has served as Assistant County Administrator for
Broward County, Florida since 2004. Broward is located in
southern Florida, with a 2006 Census estimate of 1,787,636
residents, roughly twice the population of Fulton County.
From 2003 to 2004, Williams served as Assistant City Manager
for the city of Coral Gables, Florida. He previously served with Broward County
from 1993 to 2003, in the roles of Assistant to the County Administrator, Information
Systems & Fixed Assets Manager, and Assistant Director/Chief of Staff for Community
Services/Emergency Management.
Williams holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science
degree in Criminal Justice, both from California State University in Long Beach.
The County Manager is appointed by the Board of Commissioners to administer Fulton
County Government. The current County Manager, Thomas C. Andrews, joined Fulton
County in November 1999 and has announced his retirement effective December
31, 2007.
This news is relevant to library employees because the County Manager
is the person who hires and fires department heads, including the county's
library director - who presumably, will be directly supervised by someone
Williams will eventually hire to replace departed Deputy County Manager
Keith Chadwell.
It's also interesting, and gratifying, that the county's pooh-bahs managed
to replace the County Manager without one of those excruciatingly prolonged
gaps between incumbents that interfere with efficient government. (Such gaps
are something library employees are quite frequently forced to endure when
one of its administrators departs for greener pastures.)
Let's hope the new County Manager will either already be familiar with
county-operated libraries, or will educate himself about how they differ
significantly from other county operations so he can mediate and advocate
intelligently on their behalf.
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