Following a December 19th executive session, The Ellijay City Council voted to remove Mayor Al Hoyle from the position of city manager. Prior to the decision, Hoyle occupied a dual status, as both mayor and city manager, where both positions came with financial compensation. As such, the Council’s decision was twofold. First, the Council removed Hoyle from his status and second, increased his salary as mayor.

The move seems a response to recent criticism over Hoyle’s dual status. The criticism is that Hoyle was being compensated twice. The remedy, though, simply transferred some of his pay from city manager over to his mayor salary for an increase.

Mayor Hoyle told FYN today that he was appointed as city manager by the City Council, clarifying it was not a self-appointed position. According to County Clerk Sharon Spivey he was appointed in 1997. Although not entirely dismayed over the decision, he also said that he thought the dual status was legal. Here, the Mayor alluded to the City Charter. In section three, sub-section 20, the Charter states,

“The Council may appoint a city manager. The duties and authority of the city manager shall be established by ordinance and, in so doing, the Council may specifically delegate to the city manager any of the administrative or budgetary duties of the mayor.”

The Charter also states, “

Except as authorized by law, no member of the council shall hold any other elective city office or elective city employment during the term for which he was elected” (2.14).

But, this latter prohibition does not specifically prohibit the Mayor from holding another elective position in the city; it only prohibits council members. Additionally, city manager is not an elected position. According to the Charter, the city manager is appointed by the Council, not elected by voters.

Although he has lost his city manager status, Hoyle still remains Mayor of Ellijay and stressed that, regardless of the Council’s decision, his duties have not changed.