Tjournal

Elvin Hardy, as the interim manager of the government, has taken on a number of projects to help things run smoothly. Of course, he’s also the commissioners’ point man as the day-to-day operator of the government. Hardy recently gave a review of some of the work he’s been involved in since assuming the interim position on April 25 after the consolidated government’s first manager, Doug Westberry, resigned and took a job in another part of the state.

   The manager has led the way in restructuring the Unified Government’s finances in a variety of ways, including:
   * Setting up a $1 million unsecured line of credit at six base points lower than LIBOR rates (currently 1.7%) in place of a secured 10 percent loan rate the government had previously;
   * Establishing a business money market account, raising the return on deposited funds from 1.2 percent or less to 4.4 percent (net increase in income from investments of about $4,300 per month);
   * Establishing “account sweeps” for overnight investments, which earns the government about $1,500 more per month.
   Another item relating to finances recently accomplished by Hardy is the modification and expansion of the accounting system to provide more detailed and useful financial reports (including department-level reports) for commissioners to review. He also designed and implemented a purchase order system for the county. He also established a modified zero-based budget system for the Unified Government and presented the commissioners with the first zero-based balanced budget proposal for fiscal year 2007 (now being reviewed by commissioners and the public).
   In addition to “crunching numbers,” he’s also been busy helping local officials with proposals to improve infrastructure, which many believe is needed with the expected population boom that is predicted. This has included working with the county engineer on sewage treatment proposals. Included is a tentative agreement with the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Division to allow expansion of existing 20,000 GPD (gallons-per-day) wastewater treatment plant to a 250,000 GPD sewage treatment facility.
   He also assisted with the negotiations and wrote the “memorandum of understanding” for Southwest Georgia Health Care, Inc. to put a clinic in Cusseta. He is currently continuing work with the SWGHC’s Board of Directors on the project.
   As the interim manager, it has also been his responsibility to deal with various personnel issues. In his short tenure in the office, he led the search and hiring process for the new directors of the Public

Works Department and the Recreation Department. A combined office for Building Inspector and Code & Ordinance Enforcement Officer was also established since he came on board. He has also designed and put into place the first written reporting system for building inspections for Cusseta-Chattahoochee County as a result of a failed ISO audit the previous couple of years.
While Hardy doesn’t seek to take credit for all of the positive things that have happened in recent history for the Unified Government, he’s glad that he’s been able to play a part. He is also one of two candidates for the permanent manager position, as his interim time is nearing its end. Commissioners will be interviewing candidates, including but not limited to Hardy, for the position, next Monday, May 22, as they seek to make sure they have not just a qualified manager, but one who can help elected officials guide the community through the next few years which may well prove to be the biggest years of change in Cusseta’s history.