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Villa Rica council overrides mayor’s interim city manager appointment after transparency concerns
Summary
After public criticism of a mayoral hiring, the Villa Rica City Council voted to override Mayor Leslie McPherson’s announced appointment of Larry Wood as interim city manager, citing lack of council vetting and requests for fuller applicant review.
Mayor Leslie McPherson announced in open session that she had appointed Larry Wood as interim city manager following an executive session. The governing body then moved to override that appointment and the council approved the override in a recorded vote.
The issue surfaced earlier in the meeting during public comment when Pamela White, a city resident, said, “I recently learned that the mayor approved the hiring of a former city manager without informing or consulting the full council and without public transparency.” Similar concerns about transparency and repeated interim hires were raised by other residents, including Doug Lang and Alita Dobbs Farmer.
Mayor McPherson responded during the meeting, saying she had “stayed absolutely within the city charter in regards to interview hiring practices for the city manager position and also conferred with the attorney all along the way.” The council went into executive session under OCGA 50-14-3(b)(1)(D) and OCGA 50-14-3(b)(2) before returning to open session.
After the executive session the mayor announced, “I’ve made the decision to appoint Larry Wood as our interim city manager.” A councilmember then moved “to override the appointment,” and council discussion followed. Councilman Warmoth explained his position: “I cannot confidently say that out of the applications that were received, that Larry Wood is the best choice for Villarrica at this time. . . . All of the information has not been provided, and that includes being able to speak directly to the applicants.” Other councilmembers spoke for and against the process; Councilman Carter said he has worked with Wood previously and said he would support him but noted the council’s concerns about procedure.
The motion to override passed on a council vote (council stated the vote was in the affirmative and the motion passed). The override removed the mayor’s announced appointment; the council did not appoint a replacement interim city manager at the meeting.
The mayor and council indicated follow-up work will continue: the mayor noted a full city manager report is scheduled for the next month, and councilmembers said they want a process that allows direct vetting of applicants.
