The McDonough City Council voted during its April 27 special called meeting to offer the city administrator position to police chief Preston Dorsey effective May 1. The vote was 5-2 with Kamali Varner and Sandra Vincent voting against.

  Mayor Billy Copeland has been the interim city administrator since Keith Dickerson resigned effective December 31 to become city manager in Clarkesville in northeast Georgia. Dorsey has been McDonough’s police chief since 1999. Prior to his service with the city, which began in 1995, he worked for the Henry County Police Department and the Thomaston Police Department.

  Dorsey was one of two finalists for the city administrator job; the other was Deron King, currently deputy city manager for East Point.

  The motion to approve the appointment authorized an annual compensation package of up to $125,000.

  Varner and Vincent, both of whom participated in the meeting via telephone, expressed their displeasure with the process leading up to Dorsey’s appointment. 

  Varner said that, in her opinion, the process was not completed properly. Vincent began by praising Dorsey for his performance as police chief but said that the process was flawed.

  “We indicated in this process that we were seeking someone who had city administrator experience, that could lead both the council and the employees in such a manner that would be beneficial to the city as a whole,” said Vincent. “We ended up with a candidate [King] that had a stellar reputation as well as experience as being both a city administrator and a deputy administrator, and I believe that the result of this voting today will disavow that criteria.”

  Mayor Pro Tem Craig Elrod called Dorsey “a proven leader” whose 20-plus years of experience with the city have been “remarkable.”

  “Yes, we were able to meet candidates who had wonderful resumes, but I think we are all very fortunate to have the opportunity to consider Preston Dorsey for this position,” he said.

  Council member Benjamin Pruett echoed those comments, saying that the city was able to cast a wide net and meet a number of great candidates.

  “Mr. Dorsey is unbelievable and we’re lucky to have somebody in house, but I think the process was followed,” he said. “I’m grateful for all of those candidates that interviewed, because we were able to really go through that process and see different opinions and different ways of handling this position.”

  Mayor Billy Copeland addressed Vincent’s suggestion that the majority of the council had decided to select Dorsey before the search even began, calling that assertion “completely false and totally erroneous.”

  “I know when I made my decision relative to this,” he said. “I take great pride in doing it.”

  In other business, the council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of several vehicles to replace those lost in a recent vehicle accident. The city is spending $44,694 to buy six SCAG Tiger Cat II EFI mowers from Vansant’s Lawnmower Sales and Service, as well as $33,658 for a 2020 Ford F250 4×4 Super Cab short-bed truck. The transactions are being funded under the city’s street department budget. Insurance funds, which have already been received by the city, will cover the cost of the truck and five of the mowers which were totaled in the accident.

  The council approved the purchase of three new law enforcement vehicles which will not require any city funds. All three are 2020 Chevrolet Tahoes in various colors to be used by the city’s police department, at a total cost of $112,165. The city has received a check for $116,280 stemming from its participation in a local drug task force, and that money will cover the cost of the vehicles.

  Also approved was a $26,300 contract for an emergency stormwater drainage system repair, to excavate and remove 140 feet of existing 30-inch metal pipe and replace with HDPE pipe on King Blvd.

  A March resolution regarding city assistance for local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic was amended. The changes stipulate that repayment of loans to local businesses under the program are to be two years after the termination of the mayor’s declaration of emergency, and that eligible businesses must remain open on a full- or part-time basis during the COVID-19 emergency period unless prohibited by state or local emergency order to qualify.

  Also approved was the ratification of an agreement between the city and its Downtown Development Authority to administer its COVID -19 Pandemic Employee Retention Program for the benefit of businesses within the city experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic. Loan program funds have been paid from the city’s general fund to the DDA for this purpose.