Ben Hill County opens search for new county manager; current manager will stay on as consultant

Ben Hill County Commissioners on May 21, 2024 opened a search for a new county manager while County Manager Michael Dinnerman said he plans to remain on as a consultant during the transition.

Dinnerman told the commissioners he had received several resumes for the county manager position and that some applicants have experience working for municipalities. He recommended hiring someone with government experience who could be trained for the role, saying that fit with the county’s needs mattered in the selection.

In the same workshop, Dinnerman reviewed a list of ongoing county projects he is overseeing that he said will require attention during the leadership change. He identified Ed Ward Road, Flint Road, Monitor, the road department shop, the road department fuel farm, landfill work, intergovernmental agreements with the City of Fitzgerald, and door-to-door garbage pickup as active items on his list.

Commissioners discussed the importance of completing those projects before the transition. Commissioner John Mooney said finishing the work would help the incoming county manager by reducing the number of open tasks passed to a successor.

No formal motion or vote on hiring was recorded in the minutes. The meeting record indicates the workshop was adjourned and signed by Chairman Steve Taylor and County Clerk Donna R. Prather.

The county has not specified a timeline for the hiring process or the number of applicants; the minutes state only that Dinnerman received “several resumes.”