The Demorest City Council had a busy work session and council meeting Tuesday night. One item discussed of significant importance was the City Manager’s employment contract. The City Council renewed his employment contract for another year.
City Manager Mark Musselwhite started in December 2022 on an interim basis. Last April, the council hired him full time and presented him with an employment contract. That contract was due to run out in mid-April.
Salary
Over the last couple of months, the city council and Musselwhite have negotiated his new employment contract to make necessary modifications. One modification that the council made was his salary. His salary will increase to $123,279.40. However, he will not receive a salary increase all at once. His salary prior to the new contract was $113,279.40.
Under the new contract, he will receive a $10,000 increase over the next year. Half of that amount was retroactive to January 1 this year. The remaining $5,000 will not go into effect until after he completes his Certified Public Manager’s course through UGA this summer.
The new salary was based on his performance over the past year and moving forward with achieving certifications with the Georgia Municipal Association and the Certified Public Manager’s certificate.
According to data compiled from cities in 2022 by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the city manager position’s salary range based on the population of the city is between $56,000 and $170,000.
New contract date
Another modification was the term that the contract covers. His current contract runs from April to March each year. That was changed to match the budget year. His contract will now run from January 1 through December 31 each year.
Musselwhite became the city manager at the end of a very tumultuous political period for the city of Demorest. Over the past year, he has focused on moving the city forward with various projects assigned to him by the council.
His focus has been to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Demorest. Musselwhite moved City Hall from the tiny building in the downtown area to the old Demorest Elementary School. He had the school’s auditorium renovated into a conference center to hold council meetings, court, training sessions, and public events.
Musselwhite oversaw the pavilion and bathroom project at Demorest Springs Park. He oversaw improvements and the rededication of the Brent Lee Moore Park. The city opened the old gymnasium for public use. He worked with GDOT to move forward with replacing the crumbling retaining wall along Historic 441. A project that had sat dormant for over two and a half years.
