THOMASVILLE — Some Thomasville City Council members and the city manager were caught off guard Wednesday when the mayor said a Thomas County official approached him about the possibility of discussing merging city and county governments.

At a council workshop, Mayor Greg Hobbs told fellow council members and City Manager Alan Carson that Thomas County Manager Mike Stephenson contacted him about a presentation on merging city and county governments.

Both governments have to agree to attend the presentation by the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Hobbs said.

“I know Macon-Bibb did it. It worked out well,” the mayor told fellow council members.

Council member Todd Mobley said he could listen to the presentation, adding he is not in favor of a merger.

“I don’t ever think we’ll merge,” said Council member Todd Mobley. 

Mayor pro tem David Hufstetler asked if a merger is what county commissioners want. He said that with a rationale from a couple of county commissioners, he suspects he still would be against a merger.

“No, I’m not interested,” he said Thursday. “It’s an adamant no, unequivocally.”

Carson said after the workshop he had no idea of any discussion of a city-county merger.

“(Mike) Stephenson had not informed me at all of that request,” he said.

Council member Jay Flowers could not attend the Wednesday workshop because of a family emergency, but learned later about the proposed merger presentation.

“When I learned of the county inquiry about merging city and county governments, my initial reaction is curiosity,” he said. “Is there an event or a specific need from the county that would lead them to ask? I do know that the two entities operate in a materially different way and that a merger would be difficult at best.”

Perhaps, Flowers said, elected officials should take time to hear the county manager present his arguments in favor, “but quite frankly, I think this would be a big challenge for the city to justify.” 

Stephenson said Thursday he asked county commissioners if they had any objections to looking into a merger.

“They did not take a position on it. They don’t mind studying it,” he said.

Both the city and county must invite the UGA speaker to make the presentation, the county manager said.

“I don’t see anything wrong with studying the issue,” Stephenson said.

A presentation would show pros and cons of consolidation, said commission Vice Chairman Wiley Grady.

“It just gives you another perspective,” he said. 

Said county Commission Chairman Phillip Brown, “We would just sit and listen. Let them do the presentation.”

Commissioner Ken Hickey said he wants to hear what the UGA speaker would say. 

“I’m not real optimistic of anything happening,” he added.

Some local governments have combined services in a method that benefits taxpayers, the commissioner said.

Commissioner Donnie Baggett is willing to listen to a presentation, although he declined to say whether he is in favor of a merger. It seems to be working well in some Georgia communities, said Baggett, who wants to hear merger benefits.

“I’m for whatever’s good for the city and county,” he said.

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