Wednesday, June 28, 2023–11:10 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Cave Spring City Council is getting close to naming a finalist for the city manager’s job.
The council met in an executive session Tuesday to narrow down the list of candidates. There were a total of 12 applications submitted, and the council will continue interviews with the top candidates over the next few weeks. Interviews are scheduled for July 17 and July 18.
“The hope is to have a finalist selected, probably by the third week in July,” said Mayor Rob Ware.
Local legislation was passed during the last session of the Georgia General Assembly and then signed by Governor Brian Kemp, which changes the Cave Spring City Charter, allowing for the hiring of a city manager.
The position of mayor would be eliminated with the city manager handling the day-to-day operations of the city. That will include a $5.1 million dollar sewer upgrade, plans for the former Cave Spring Elementary School, public safety concerns, and the ability to guide development while balancing the budget were also cited as considerations for making the change.
According to the job description, the city manager will be responsible for the overall administration of city government, including personnel, budgets, purchasing, grants, and pensions.
Cave Spring currently has five elected council members and an elected mayor, which is a part-time position. Under the previous charter, the mayor was the chief administrator.
The council began discussions in-earnest about making the change back in January, with all five council members and Mayor Ware expressing support.
The salary for the city manager will be an estimated $75,000.
Cave Spring Council approves budget
The Cave Spring City Council approved the FY 2023-2024 budget during a called meeting Tuesday.
The budget for general government comes in at $1,297,600 and includes a $5 increase in the fire fee, which will be $18 a month.
The water and sewer budget is $1,510,950 and includes a 7.75% increase for Cave Spring Water customers who live in the city and a 5.75% increase for customers who live in the county and in Alabama.
The increases will be reflected on the customer’s September bills.
