Patti Dozier/Times-EnterpriseCity officials (clockwise) Council member David Hufstetler, interim city manager Kha McDonald, Council member Jay Flowers listen to Keith Bass at Wednesday morning at the city council utilities committee meeting.

THOMASVILLE — About 40 residents squeezed into a small room at the City of Thomasville Water Pollution Control Plant on Wednesday morning to hear the city council utilities committee discuss two key positions.

For close to nine months, the council has discussed separating the positions of city manager and utilities superintendent, which was combined for about 25 years until Jan. 1.

Keith Bass, interim utilities superintendent, told council members that he favors separation of the positions, but the utilities superintendent should answer to the city manager.

Bass said elimination of Thomasville property taxes in 2012 was possible because of transfers of funds from utilities to the general fund. 

“That will be a point of contention,” Bass said, adding that the transfer will be “a huge issue.”

Transfers have increased considerably, and if the money is not there, rate increases would be necessary, and/or costs would be cut, Bass said.

More money is being transferred now than required by the city code, Bass said. 

“What I’m saying here is the city council will wind up being a referee,” he said.

Information provided at the meeting showed six Thomasville linemen have left in six years.

“The linemen are the heart and soul of what keeps the system working,” Bass told council members. 

He provided information that shows city linemen make less than Georgia Power or Albany linemen.

Council member David Hufstetler said that if a Thomasville lineman is interested in making more money, the individual would need to relocate.

Council member Jay Flowers interjected that the person in charge is the city manager, who is responsible for all of the city. If the city manager’s primary source of revenue is utilities, why would the utilities superintendent not report to the city manager instead of the council? Flowers asked.

Hufstetler said the most recent person who served as city manager/utilities superintendent wrote checks for $200,000 before he left in December. “ … and that’s not going to happen again,” Hufstetler added.

Later in the meeting, Mayor Greg Hobbs told Hufstetler, “You are elected by the community, not a small group of people.”

“It’s up to the city council to do its job,” said Council member Todd Mobley said.

Bass said Thomasville’s city employee team works together better than in any city he knows of, and for the utilities superintendent to answer to the council would affect personnel’s working relationships.

Hobbs said Mobley and Hufstetler ran for election last year on a platform of “what is being discussed.”

A resident told the council, “The perception of the community, indeed, is that the council is micromanaging.”

Also, the resident said, a council member brings up charter items that are to his advantage, while others are disregarded.

Bass said there are incompatibilities in the code and charter.

“Those issues are there. … I would suggest we clean those up,” he said.

Bass was hired by the council in March to serve as interim utilities superintendent for six months during the search for a permanent superintendent and a permanent city manager. Neither has been hired.

Bass’ last day on the job is Wednesday, Sept. 19.  

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820