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Dalton trustees confirm new administrator, public-works chief and legal counsel as part of administration overhaul
Summary
The Village of Dalton Board of Trustees approved a slate of senior hires and professional contracts May 7, including a village administrator, public works superintendent and village attorney as the new board begins its first budget cycle.
The Village of Dalton Board of Trustees voted unanimously May 7 to appoint Charles Walls as village administrator, approved Daryl Bunch as public works superintendent and named Odelson Murphy Frazier & McGrath Ltd. as village attorney as the newly seated board reorganized key staff and outside counsel.
The appointments were part of a broader slate of personnel and professional approvals the board moved through in a regularly scheduled meeting. Trustees approved the hires and contracts by roll call votes, with all five trustees voting aye on each item.
The mayor presented Charles Walls as the village administrator nominee, saying Walls holds a master’s degree in public administration and has a background in finance. After the vote, Walls told the board he intended to “work closely with the administration to make government boring,” adding: “Good government should be boring. And, I'm happy to be a part of that.”
Trustees approved Daryl Bunch as public works superintendent. Bunch, who the board said has more than 15 years of public-works experience and is a Dalton resident, addressed the board after his confirmation: “I'm humbled and honored. Thank you for believing in me.”
The board appointed Odelson Murphy Frazier & McGrath Ltd. as village attorney after trustees said the firm had been acting informally for the village while many matters accumulated. Attorney Chris McGrath addressed the trustees and said he welcomed the official appointment and that the firm expected to work through outstanding cases. Trustees said legal bills and outstanding cases from prior administrations remain a major fiscal issue.
Several other personnel moves were also approved: the board confirmed Samisha Williams as chief of staff (a retitling and expansion of the executive-assistant role), hired Warren Mohammed as media director and authorized a public-relations contract with High Society Management.
All of the listed appointments and contracts passed on unanimous roll-call votes. Trustees and the mayor said the moves were intended to stabilize operations and give the new board the staff and counsel needed to implement a year of catch-up work on budgeting and services.
The board did not set implementation timelines for all new hires in the meeting; the village indicated paperwork and onboarding would follow existing personnel rules.
