Macon Telegraph Logo

Perry shakes up structure in public safety, public works | Macon Telegraph

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Archive Search

    • All News
    • Local
    • Houston & Peach
    • The Sun News
    • Crime
    • Food Story
    • Education
    • Databases
    • Business
    • Nation/World
    • Opinion
    • Weird News
    • All Sports
    • High Schools
    • University of Georgia
    • Bulldogs Beat
    • Georgia Tech
    • Mercer
    • Columns & Blogs
    • MLB & Braves
    • NFL & Falcons
    • NBA & Hawks
    • Auto Racing
    • Golf
    • NHL/Macon Mayhem
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Living
    • Family
    • Food
    • Home & Garden
    • Religion
    • Celebrations
    • Mark Ballard
    • Dear Abby
    • Entertainment
    • Out & About
    • Celebrities
    • Music
    • Restaurants
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion Columns & Blogs
    • Your Say
  • Obituaries
  • Education Together
  • Best of the Best

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Contests

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

News

Perry shakes up structure in public safety, public works

By CHRISTINA M. WRIGHT - chwright@macon.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 19, 2012 08:23 PM

PERRY -- The City Council shook up its city structure Tuesday with a series of measures, in a regular meeting in which the fiscal 2013 budget also was approved.

The council voted unanimously to eliminate the public safety director position, create separate fire and police departments, appoint a fire chief, name an interim manager of the police department and “defund” the public works director’s position for this fiscal year.

“It was needed and necessary,” Mayor Jimmy Faircloth said of the changes. “We made a determination that it would be the most effective way to run our city going forward.”

The city’s $24 million budget also was approved unanimously, though it did not reflect the decisions the council made Monday. Those amendments and reorganizations will be available by early next week, said City Manager Lee Gilmour.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Telegraph

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

“That money will be absorbed back into the general fund,” Faircloth said. He said a portion will be used to fund a couple of part-time positions and a new police chief.

Given the council’s decision to not fund the public works director’s job in the coming fiscal year, Director Ronnie Jones has accepted a two-month severance package. He worked for the city five years and earned an annual salary of $79,000.

Faircloth insisted the public works position has not been abolished. It may be re-funded when the city determines city projects require a leader, he said.

“The responsibility of getting the job done has not changed,” Faircloth said. “The supervisors in that department will report to another department head or Mr. Gilmour, but the job will continue to get done.”

George Potter, the now-former director of public safety, retired Thursday. The council decided his position was no longer necessary.

The City Council created the public safety director position in 2006 and appointed Potter to oversee problems in the fire department and unite the public safety divisions, Lee said.

Potter's salary was $98,896.

“Those issues have long since been resolved,” Faircloth said. “Council has determined that we no longer needed a director of public safety. In doing that, we have to create individual departments of fire and police.”

Joel Gray was named the chief of the re-formed Perry Fire Department.

Gray was recruited from Florida about three years ago to become the deputy fire chief, the position he now leaves for chief.

“All this time, it never occurred to me that I was calling you the wrong thing,” Faircloth said. “You’ve always been Chief Gray to me, but now it works.”

Gray's current salary is $66,213. According to budget documents, the new salary will be between $62,700 and $88,900. Capt. William Phelps was named the interim manager of the re-formed Perry Police Department. Faircloth said the police chief position will be posted. Lee said no time frame has been set in selecting the police chief.

The mayor said the police chief position was not extended to Phelps because the department has another captain, Heath Dykes, who has also taken on leadership roles in Potter’s absence.

“We thought to be fair, we’d open it up,” he said.

Those at the meeting wished Potter well, recognizing him for his 16 years of service to the city and his steadfastness in organizing the building of the new George A. Potter Perry Public Safety Training Facility.

“Your hand prints are all over the fire and police departments and for good reason,” Faircloth told him.

To contact writer Christina M. Wright, call 256-9685.

  Comments  

Videos

They called her ‘upside down glasses.’ Now she owns it

Barberitos shooting witness recalls what she saw night of killing

View More Video

Trending Stories

Missouri woman dies from injuries after chain-reaction crashes on I-75 near Perry

February 22, 2019 12:38 PM

Macon-Bibb commissioner ‘maintains his innocence’ after DUI arrest in downtown

February 22, 2019 06:27 AM

Hornets switch lineup, roll past Wizards 123-110

February 22, 2019 10:35 PM

‘Mom’ comes home: Joni Taylor returns to Lady Bulldogs’ bench 48 hours after giving birth

February 22, 2019 02:36 PM

A woman’s place is in the kitchen for inmates at the Bibb County Jail

February 22, 2019 05:51 PM

Read Next

Flaring tensions, defections at the border as first shipment of aid enters Venezuela

World

Flaring tensions, defections at the border as first shipment of aid enters Venezuela

By Antonio Maria Delgado,

David Smiley, and

Jim Wyss

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 23, 2019 08:21 AM

Four members of Venezuela’s National Guard deserted their posts Saturday morning and solicited help from Colombia at the Simon Bolivar bridge connecting the two countries. Earlier, tear gas was fired on residents.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Telegraph

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

R. Kelly ordered jailed on $1M bond at Chicago hearing

Celebrities

R. Kelly ordered jailed on $1M bond at Chicago hearing

February 23, 2019 03:27 PM
Parade in Warner Robins celebrates black history

Houston & Peach

Parade in Warner Robins celebrates black history

February 23, 2019 03:06 PM
Women take Catholic bishops to task at Vatican abuse summit

Nation & World

Women take Catholic bishops to task at Vatican abuse summit

February 23, 2019 02:19 PM
Train possibly taking Kim Jong Un to summit enters China

Business

Train possibly taking Kim Jong Un to summit enters China

February 23, 2019 09:57 AM
The Latest: Train possibly taking Kim to summit enters China

Nation & World

The Latest: Train possibly taking Kim to summit enters China

February 23, 2019 08:46 AM
Buffett encourages investors to bet on American economy

Business

Buffett encourages investors to bet on American economy

February 23, 2019 03:43 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Macon Telegraph App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Advertise with Us
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story