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Valdosta names Jennifer Wheeler as city manager; residents press council on flooding, animal tethering and ethics complaint
Summary
The Valdosta Mayor and Council appointed Jennifer Wheeler as city manager with amended contract leave credits; during Citizens to Be Heard residents raised long-running flooding complaints, called for limits on front-yard trampolines and 24-hour dog tethering, and asked about an unresolved ethics complaint.
The Valdosta Mayor and Council on May 7 voted to appoint Jennifer Wheeler as the city’s new manager, approving contract amendments that credit her 24 days of sick leave and 36 days of annual leave on her first day of employment in lieu of relocation expenses. Tim Tanner presented the employment agreement and explained the agreed edits; Wheeler’s start date was stated as June 22.
Councilmember motioned and the council approved the contract changes and the appointment by show of hands. Council said a copy of the executed agreement would be provided to members.
During the Citizens to Be Heard portion, several residents raised service and safety concerns:
- Anna Davis said her neighborhood floods routinely and asked what city action would follow; the mayor offered to have staff meet with the residents after the meeting.
- Bobby McKenzie described a long-running series of SeeClickFix reports about a blocked ditch on a local road and said engineering and stormwater divisions have been slow to act; he urged more timely response and said the ditch had been buried for years before recent work.
- Amanda Hall Phillips, a veterinarian, urged the council to consider rules for front-yard trampolines and to restrict unsupervised 24-hour tethering of dogs, citing bite-risk and animal welfare concerns; she referenced ordinances in neighboring counties that allow only supervised tethering.
- Jay Perryman said he filed an ethics complaint in October 2025 and said the required hearing under the city’s ethics code has not been scheduled; the mayor asked staff to speak with him after the meeting.
- Christina Cheek thanked the council for recognizing National Tourism Month, highlighted the local tourism revenue figure presented, and urged renewed attention to Southside revitalization and possible state-level support for an expanded conference center.
Next steps: The city will provide the newly executed employment agreement to council members and staff agreed to follow up with residents who spoke about flooding and an ethics complaint.
