Monroe County Manager Jim Hedges retires Friday after more than seven years leading the county government. He was hired in October 2018 as the county’s second county manager.
What’s Happening: Hedges, a retired Amoco oil executive and former mayor of Ashburn, oversaw Monroe County operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, a $20 million water project in Juliette, and the replacement of aging county vehicles and equipment. Finance Director Lorri Robinson-Byrd will succeed him as county manager.
By the Numbers: The county spent 75 percent of its 2020 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds within 36 months as required by bond documents. The Juliette water project cost more than $20 million and was the largest water project in Georgia at the time. County deputies were driving vehicles with 350,000 miles when Hedges arrived. Hedges commuted nearly two hours daily from Ashburn to Forsyth.
What Happens Next: Robinson-Byrd takes over as county manager Saturday. Pending issues include building a new Animal Services facility and fleet management facility, negotiating with Google on a data center off Rumble Road, renegotiating a water contract with Macon Water Authority, holding a referendum on a Floating Local Option Sales Tax, and negotiating an updated service delivery strategy with Forsyth and Culloden.
