Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams abruptly resigns

By Joe Johnson

The focus of Wednesday night’s Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission meeting was on the passage of a budget for the new fiscal year that begins in July, but Manager Blaine Williams upstaged proceedings with an announcement at the end of the meeting that he was stepping down from the county’s top appointed position that he’s held the past eight years.

As manager, Williams oversaw day-to-day operations of the county government.

The unexpected development was announced by Mayor Kelly Girtz after a closed-door session to discuss personal matters.

Addressing the commission, Williams said that his decision to resign “was driven by a sincere desire to explore new opportunities for personal and professional growth, and to be with my family.”

Williams was appointed as the fourth manager of the unified government of Athens-Clarke County in April 2016 after previously serving as the assistant manager since January 2013.

Some of the notable accomplishments achieved by the county during Williams’ tenure include receiving its first-ever AAA bond rating, the strongest level of government bond ratings; launching the Sustainability Office, Geospatial Information Office, and Inclusion Office; obtaining an Insurance Services Office (ISO) fire rating score in 2019 of Class 1, which less than 1% of communities in the United States had achieved; acquiring the rock quarry to provide future water independence and resiliency for the next 100 years; expanding the multiuse trail system and completing the Firefly Trail Bridge over Trail Creek; navigating the COVID-19 pandemic; and addressing historic attrition to provide uninterrupted quality service delivery.

Mayor Girtz noted, “In my 25 years working in the public sector, no colleague has ever strived for more than Blaine Williams. He is dedicated, creative, and Athens has much to show for his good work. He has helped lead us through unprecedented challenges, an era of enormous growth, and helped spur a community with gains in both the economic and social wellbeing of our residents.”