Has been named city manager in Camden, S.C. —
After a decade working for Peachtree City, Jon Rorie is moving on. And his official retirement on April 29 has nothing to do with local politics or personalities that come with a trio of new council members as of last January, Rorie said.
His official announcement will come at the City Council meeting Thursday night.
It’s ultimately a family decision, he said, taken to provide future financial stability for a special needs child. “It’s all personal and financial,” he said.
He goes to a northeastern South Carolina community one-fifth the population of Peachtree City where the salary is not in the Peachtree City neighborhood. But he plans to live off his Peachtree City retirement and bank his Camden, S.C. income to provide for the child’s needs for the years after Rorie finally retires, Rorie said.
Camden — a community of slightly more than 7,200 34 miles east of Columbia, S.C. — is about 2 hours south of Rorie’s aging parents in nearly North Carolina, adding to the “personal” part of his reasons to leave Peachtree City.
Before the November city elections which saw a new mayor and 2 new council members elected, Rorie had told associates that he planned to retire before the end of 2022. The Camden position “was a great offer,” Rorie said, and it was not going to be available for long. Camden’s long-time city manager retired for medical reasons last month, and the city government there needed to find a replacement. Rorie’s timeline for making a move by the end of 2022 thus had to be moved up.
Rorie had worked in fire services positions, including fire chief, for local governments not far away in North Carolina for 24 years before coming to Peachtree City.
He will recommend to the council that they appoint an interim city manager while they seek a full-time match for that job, he said.
Rorie has worked with the city since December 2011, heading the Community Services Division and Public Services Division until he was appointed interim City Manager in May 2015 upon the retirement of City Manager Jim Pennington.
Rorie was appointed full-time city manager Nov. 19, 2015, by unanimous vote of City Council.
Rorie in supervising what was then the Community Services Division was responsible for planning and zoning, the library, recreation and special events and the building department.
His supervision of the Public Services Division included responsibility for buildings and grounds, engineering, stormwater, streets and cart paths and the city’s vehicle fleet.
Prior to his time with the city, Rorie served as fire chief in Carolina Beach, N.C. and has a total of 21 years in fire services positions.
Best of luck, thanks for all you have done for Peachtree City.