Differing

management styles brought a parting of the ways

between Fayette County Manager Billy Beckett and

the County Commission this week.

Beckett,

51, has been terminated with a year's pay as

severance.

"My

managerial style and philosophy are fairly well

solidified at this point in my career," said

Beckett, who has been the county's top appointed

official for 15 and a half years. "I've been

at this [public service] since 1974, and it's

hard to get a leopard to change his spots."

Although

individual commissioners have had problems with

his management style in the past, Beckett said,

the majority has not... until now.

Current

commissioners want more involvement in the day to

day operation of the county, he said.

"The

board has been pretty direct with me in the past

about wanting me to do more in support of

them," said Beckett Tuesday.

He

said the county has traditionally used a

"council/manager" type government

style, but individual opinions differ as to what

that means. His own interpretation, Beckett said,

has been that the appointed manager is

"responsible for the day to day

administration of government, and it's the

board's role to make policy and provide for

appropriate rules and regulations to set the

framework."

In

the past, commissioners have gone through the

county manager rather than dealing directly with

department heads and employees, Beckett said, but

the current board seems to want more involvement.

"I think they would prefer more involvement

in the specific activities of government, and

that's clearly their prerogative to do

that," he said.

Commission

Chairman Harold Bost met with Beckett Monday

morning and gave him an option of resigning or

allowing the commissioners to invoke an

involuntary separation clause in his five-year

contract, Beckett said, adding, "The board

wanted whatever would be best for me."

voluntary resignation would leave Beckett no

access to severance pay, so he opted to be let

go, he said.

Severance

pay, he added, "gives me the opportunity to

take some time and explore some new adventures

and new challenges and still keep my head above

water financially."

In

addition to his job with the county, Beckett is

an official with the collegiate Southeastern

Conference, and referees in a variety of sports

settings. That will keep him busy, along with

family matters, until he decides what direction

his career will take next, he said. He will check

trade newsletters and contact job search firms,

but has no specific direction in mind, he said.

"I

hope an opportunity will present itself

reasonably soon," he added.

Beckett

said he has "absolutely no hard feelings

toward the board," and feels no shame at

having been fired.

In

fact, Beckett's 15-year tenure is one of the

longest in the state for people in his job. City

and county managers are almost hired to be fired,

kind of like football coaches," he said.

"It's part of life.

"Had

I done something terribly wrong I would be

ashamed, but I'm not ashamed of my track record

in Fayette County," he added.

Beckett

came to Fayette in 1985, when the county's

population was less than half what it is now, and

was at the helm during Fayette's most rapid

growth spurts.

During

his tenure, the county has won numerous state and

national awards for financial reporting,

constituent service and other functions, and the

Atlanta Regional Commission recently placed

Fayette at the top of metro Atlanta counties for

quality of life.

"I'm

proud of many of the people I've served with, and

I'm nuts about this staff," Beckett said.

"It's a great group of people from

department heads to employees."

He

added that although he hired most of the key

people in the county government, he doesn't

expect a mass exodus upon his departure.

"The county needs the people that are in

place," he said. "If anyone is thinking

like that, I hope they'll take a deep breath and

take a look at the short- and long-term

consequences.

"Change

and adversity can be very positive," he

added. "I think this is a good opportunity

for a new beginning for everyone."

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