Former City Manager Bernie McMullen offered interim job as Peachtree City searches for Jon Rorie replacement

By
Cal Beverly
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5
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Former Peachtree City Manager Bernie McMullen — shown at City Hall March 23 — has been asked by the City Council to fill in as interim city manager. Photo/Cal Beverly.
Former Peachtree City Manager Bernie McMullen — shown at City Hall March 23 — has been asked by the City Council to fill in as interim city manager. Photo/Cal Beverly.

Twelve years since Bernie McMullen retired as Peachtree City manager, he’s been asked by a unanimous City Council to step back into his old job — at least temporarily — as interim city manager.

City Manager Jon Rorie at a City Council meeting in January 2022. Photo/Cal Beverly.
City Manager Jon Rorie at a City Council meeting in January 2022. Photo/Cal Beverly.

The offer of an interim position paying $6,200 every two weeks came during a called executive session of the City Council Wednesday as a way to give the city time to find a permanent replacement for current City Manager Jon Rorie. Rorie’s last day is April 29.

McMullen served as city manager for seven years, ending in December 2010. At his last meeting that year, a former council member praised McMullen for serving through three different city councils and guiding the city “through some tough economic times, and tough personnel issues as well.”

McMullen chose to resign after some public run-ins with then-Mayor Don Haddix, although then-council member Vanessa Fleisch — later to be elected to two terms as mayor — had given McMullen a “glowing review” in the same time period.

McMullen was a city resident for several years before replacing long-time City Manager Jim Basinger in May 2003.

The city has hired an executive search firm to look for candidates for the city’s top executive job.

Following an executive session to finalize details of the offer to an interim city manager, Mayor Kim Learnard (L), City Clerk Yasmin Julio and Councilman Phil Prebor answer questions in City Hall. Photo/Cal Beverly.
Following an executive session to finalize details of the offer to an interim city manager, Mayor Kim Learnard (L), City Clerk Yasmin Julio and Councilman Phil Prebor answer questions in City Hall. Photo/Cal Beverly.
Peachtree City Council members Gretchen Caola, Frank Destadio and Mike King in the aftermath of their decision to hire an interim city manager. Photo/Cal Beverly.
Peachtree City Council members Gretchen Caola (L), Frank Destadio and Mike King in the aftermath of their decision to hire an interim city manager. Photo/Cal Beverly.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Way to go PTC City Council people – offering an OLD AS DIRT, CONVICTED DRUNK a position as the ‘interim’ City Manager’ of our fair city! What the HELL are you people thinking for goodness sake? Have you lost your damn minds?

  3. Jon Rorie did an excellent job……first at Public Works, then as City Manager. He had a very common-sense way about him, and a demeanor that made him easy to work with.

    My question is, why did PTC wait so long to start looking for his replacement? His departure wasn’t a sudden surprise and it seems to me that having his replacement lined up would have been something they would have started on immediately.