Appling County manager resigns; board names interim manager

Appling County officials moved quickly after County Manager Al Meadows announced his resignation during an Oct. 16 called session, and the board on Oct. 24 appointed Mike Deal as interim manager while launching a recruitment process for a permanent replacement.

During the Oct. 16 meeting, Meadows told the board, "due to the lack of confidence from the Board, I am submitting my official resignation." The board voted to accept his resignation, and County Attorney Tracy Brown recommended the board temporarily name Chairman Leslie Burch and County Clerk Robyn Evans to act as Interim Managers until a formal interim could be appointed. The board also directed staff to advertise the county manager vacancy immediately.

At a called meeting on Oct. 24, after executive session, the board unanimously appointed Mike Deal to serve as Interim County Manager under the same terms he had previously served: $60 per hour plus a travel/gas allowance. Commissioners also approved a committee to screen applicants (including sitting commissioners and incoming commissioners) and scheduled public interviews for finalists on Nov. 25, 2024; the board clarified there would be no public participation in the interviews. The board also designated County Clerk Robyn Evans as the county’s representative for intergovernmental debris contracts and related communications.

What happens next: the county will advertise the position, the screening committee will produce a short list of candidates for public interviews on Nov. 25, and the interim will oversee ongoing recovery and administrative work until a permanent manager is hired.