Newman City Council adopts 2025 budget, confirms appointments and approves multiple resolutions and contracts

Newman City Council on Jan. 7, 2025 adopted the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget and approved a package of appointments, resolutions and contracts that will guide city operations through Dec. 31, 2025.

The council voted to adopt the ordinance adopting and executing the budget for the fiscal year beginning Jan. 1, 2025 and ending Dec. 31, 2025, following a public hearing held at a prior meeting. The motion passed by voice vote and the mayor declared the motion carried.

The budget vote led an otherwise routine meeting in which council members also approved resolutions to amend the 2025 pay plan and to amend the personnel policy manual, adopted an amendment to Chapter 13 of the municipal court ordinance, and set qualifying fees for the Nov. 4, 2025 general election. The council also approved a contract award for custodial cleaning services, consented to a 180-day postponement in arbitration related to the Sidney Pope Farms annexation, granted a retail on-premise alcohol license for a business at 11 Spence Avenue, and adopted a joint resolution dissolving the city’s hospital authority.

The council confirmed several appointments and reappointments. Jim Thomason was nominated and approved as mayor pro tem for 2025. The council reappointed existing department heads on the city manager’s recommendation and approved appointments for legal and court positions: Brad Sears as city attorney; Clay Collins as municipal court judge (now a two-year term); Rufus Smith Jr. as municipal court judge pro tem (two-year term); Daniel Will Sewell as municipal court solicitor; and Jim Strickland as municipal public defender. The mayor announced housing-authority appointments under his authority: Anthony Gallato was nominated to replace Otis Jones, and Trakita Gates was named to replace Cassie Hooks as the resident representative under HUD rules; the mayor indicated no council vote was required for those mayoral appointments.

On advisory boards and commissions the council reappointed John Pulicker to the planning commission, appointed Chris Hunt to the Newrow board, and reappointed Bobby Lee to the Water and Light Commission for a three-year term. One council member asked that the council consider codifying qualifications for the Water and Light Commission membership and the mayor suggested discussing it at the council retreat in March.

City Manager Mr. Phillips described the proposed floating holiday for city employees: "2025 Christmas falls on a Thursday. So we would like to recommend the day after Christmas. That way we're off Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for Christmas." The council adopted the floating holiday for Dec. 26, 2025.

On procurement, the council approved staff’s recommendation to award custodial-care cleaning services for city facilities to Southern Cleaning Services; representatives of that company attended the meeting. The council also approved a motion to postpone arbitration proceedings and consideration of the Sidney Pope Farms annexation for 180 days; the county had agreed to the extension and had the item on its agenda for the coming Thursday, the city manager said.

In other business, the council opened and closed a public hearing on an alcohol beverage license application for a new owner at 11 Spence Avenue; no public speakers came forward and the council approved the license. The council adopted a joint resolution confirming the hospital authority’s previous action to dissolve itself.

The meeting ended with an announcement that a work session on two rezoning requests would follow at 3 p.m. and with a council member noting a request for an RFP status on master planning for cemetery services; Mr. Phillips said the master-planning RFP had been posted before Christmas and is listed on the city website and the Georgia Procurement Registry.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance adopting the 2025 budget: approved (voice vote; motion carried). Public hearing held at prior meeting. - Resolution to amend the 2025 pay plan: approved (voice vote; motion carried). - Resolution to amend the personnel policy manual: approved (voice vote; motion carried). - Amendment to Chapter 13, Municipal Court Ordinance: approved (voice vote; motion carried). - Resolution setting qualifying fees for the Nov. 4, 2025 general election: approved (voice vote; motion carried). - Contract award for custodial-care cleaning services to Southern Cleaning Services: approved (staff recommendation; motion carried). - 180-day postponement of arbitration proceedings on Sidney Pope Farms annexation: approved (motion carried); county agreed to extension. - Retail on-premise alcohol license for 11 Spence Avenue (new owner): approved following public hearing (no public speakers; motion carried). - Joint resolution to dissolve the Hospital Authority of the City of Newman: approved (motion carried). - Floating holiday for city employees set for Dec. 26, 2025: approved (motion carried). - Appointments/reappointments (motions carried unless noted): Jim Thomason elected mayor pro tem; reappointment of department heads; Brad Sears (city attorney); Clay Collins (municipal court judge, two-year term); Rufus Smith Jr. (municipal court judge pro tem, two-year term); Daniel Will Sewell (municipal court solicitor); Jim Strickland (municipal public defender); John Pulicker (planning commission); Chris Hunt (Newrow); Bobby Lee (Water and Light, three-year term). Mayor announced mayoral appointments to housing authority (Anthony Gallato and Trakita Gates) and stated no council vote was required for those mayoral appointments.

What this means

The adopted budget provides the legal spending authority for city operations for calendar 2025 and the associated pay-plan and personnel manual updates implement staffing and compensation adjustments approved by the council. The custodial contract names Southern Cleaning Services as the vendor for municipal facilities. The 180-day postponement preserves both city and county timelines while additional work on the Sidney Pope Farms annexation proceeds. The mayor’s announced appointments to the housing authority reflect HUD-required resident-member rules, according to the mayor’s remarks.

Requests for more information or documents referenced at the meeting (budget ordinance text, pay-plan resolution, personnel manual amendment, custodial contract award package, and the RFP for cemetery master planning) were identified as available through the city manager’s office or posted on the city procurement registry.

Ending note

The council adjourned the regular session and planned a subsequent work session on rezoning requests; members asked for a future discussion on formalizing commission qualifications at the March council retreat.