Loganville city manager announces his intent to retire early next year

Loganville City Manager Danny Roberts will be leaving that post when his current contract expires in February, he announced Tuesday afternoon via the city’s Facebook page.

The February closeout of Roberts’ contract will end 10 years of service as city manager, and will mark the finish line of a nearly three-decade career with the city government.

Prior to being named city manager in 2017, Roberts was serving the city as both fire chief and assistant city manager. He was appointed to the city’s top administrative post following the retirement of City Manager Bill Jones, who had served in the post since early 2002.

“For 28 years, the City of Loganville has been a central part of my family’s life and mine,” Roberts posted on Facebook. “From the early days of riding on a fire truck to serving in the Chief’s Office and later in the City Manager’s Office, every step of this journey has meant something to me. This city has given me opportunities I never could have imagined, and for that, I am truly grateful.”

Roberts went on with a broad note of thanks to the community, writing, “To my friends, fellow employees, mayors and council members – past and present – thank you. Your support, dedication and friendship have shaped my career and my life.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together and even more grateful for the people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside.”

Roberts closed his announcement with a simple, “Thank you again for allowing me to serve this community.”

Prior to posting the Facebook announcement, Roberts first informed the city council of his decision, telling council members and Mayor Branden Whitfield of his intent to leave the city manager job during a closed-door “executive session” held as part of the council’s July 25 retreat, a four-hour strategic planning meeting held at City Hall.

Governing bodies in Georgia are allowed to hold closed-door meetings to discuss legal, personnel, real estate and cybersecurity issues, but they must hold any votes resulting from a closed-door meeting in public session.

The council was behind closed doors for 40 minutes at the retreat, and emerged to announce that no decisions had been reached during the executive session.

In a Thursday phone interview, Councilwoman Melanie Long honored the city council’s practice of not revealing the substance of any discussion in closed-door meetings, except to say that Roberts’ decision to leave the city manager’s post is “personal for him” and “personal for us (the city council).”

In recognition of the increasing complexity of managing government services and personnel, even in a relatively small town like Loganville with a population only now approaching 20,000 people, the city council hired an assistant city manager to share some of that burden. Jeff Smith, who holds a doctoral degree in emergency management, came to the city with an extensive resume of service in government  and the academic world, including a long career in law enforcement.

For the current fiscal year, Roberts is overseeing a municipal general fund budget of $18.2 million, up nearly 10% from the previous fiscal year’s $17.2 million general fund budget. The city’s fiscal year begins each July 1, so Roberts’ final several months in office will include extensive work in preparing a proposed budget for the 2027-28 fiscal year.

City counsel

In other developments from the July 25 retreat, the council is moving forward with plans to seek bids from individual practitioners or law firms interested in taking on work as the city government’s legal counsel.

In June, with some members citing concerns over what they see as increased billing from the city’s current counsel, Monroe-based Rosenthal Wright, the council voted 4-2 to place the firm on a month-to-month basis as the city seeks proposals for legal services.

Rosenthal Wright is not excluded from submitting a bid to retain its role as city attorney for Loganville. In fact, Long said Wednesday, the city has “encouraged him (Paul Rosenthal of Rosenthal Wright) to please apply” for the opportunity to continue providing the city with legal services.