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Bulloch County approves employment agreement for Christopher D. Eldridge as county manager
Summary
The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an employment agreement for Christopher D. Eldridge that sets pay at $225,000, includes a $10,000 moving allowance, county vehicle use, and a six-month severance payment if terminated without cause.
The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an employment agreement hiring Christopher D. Eldridge as county manager.
County attorney Jeff Akins presented the agreement’s terms, saying the proposed salary is $225,000 per year, the package includes a $10,000 moving allowance and the use of a county vehicle, and that Eldridge would be an at‑will employee. "If he is terminated without cause, he will be entitled to 6 months severance pay," Akins said.
The vote followed public comment urging more public involvement in the hiring process. Resident Lawton Sack told the board he and many county residents had not had an opportunity to meet the candidate and asked the commissioners to consider greater transparency in future executive searches.
Why it matters: the county manager is the chief executive of Bulloch County government and administers county operations and staff. The board’s unanimous approval means Eldridge will assume administrative responsibility for county departments under the terms approved by the commissioners.
Details of the agreement presented to the board match the highlights Akins read aloud: $225,000 annual salary; $10,000 moving allowance; county vehicle for business use; at‑will employment status; and a severance payout equal to six months' salary if the manager is terminated without cause. The attorney also noted the at‑will status reflected applicable local personnel rules and an ordinance referenced during the presentation.
During public comment before the vote, Lawton Sack said he understood the board’s need to protect candidate confidentiality during recruitment but urged the commissioners to provide more opportunities for residents to meet finalists in future searches. A board member responded that the board plans to provide opportunities for the public to meet the manager after he "gets here on the ground." The board did not attach any additional public‑meeting condition to the employment agreement itself.
Formal action: the board approved the employment agreement by unanimous vote. The commissioners present — Chairman David Bennett, Vice Chairman Toby Connor, Commissioners Ray Mosley, Anthony Simmons, Nick Newkirk, Timmy Rushing and Ray Davis — voted in favor.
What’s next: the board said members expect the new manager to begin work under the approved terms and that the public will have an opportunity to meet him in the coming weeks.
