FLOWERY BRANCH – The Flowery Branch City Council made it official Thursday evening, appointing City Clerk Vickie Short as Interim City Manager.
City Manager Bill Andrew resigned unexpectedly from that position after fifteen years on May 12th; no reason for Andrew’s decision has been made public.
While Short occupies the City Manager’s office and a search for Andrew’s permanent replacement is underway, Shelia Cooper will serve as Interim Assistant City Clerk. Cooper is part of the city’s finance team and will continue to perform many of her normal duties while taking over many of the daily tasks Short has handled.
Short has been with the city for nearly nine years and says she looks forward to working with council members to keep the city moving forward. “I’m really excited for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to continuing on what’s started with Flowery Branch.”
Short says she is well aware of the divide within the city between who support the city’s current growth spurt and those who would like to see development reined in. “I think for me the most important thing is to carry on what the mayor and council desire and what they vote for and what they anticipate for the city, and just making sure staff gets that done,” Short said shortly after the unanimous vote naming her as Interim City Manager.
Mayor Mike Miller said after the meeting that the search for a permanent city manager is underway but some of the details about the selection process still need to be worked out. "There are several scenarios that are possible, so in the next few weeks we will narrow that down amongst the city council, because city council is who hires that city manager...and hopefully come to a conclusion of how that process works." Miller announced in April that he will not seek re-election when his term expires at the end of the calendar year. Also, three of the five seats on the city council are up for re-election in November.
Council members approved an annual salary of $110,000 for Short plus a $250 car allowance per pay period; Cooper will draw an annual salary of $50,000 for her new duties.
