New Franklin Co. Manager Starting Jan. 1

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Come the first of the year, Franklin County will have a new county manager.

At its regular meeting last week, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to hire Elizabeth Thomas as the new manager, effective January 1st.

In a called meeting last month, the Board voted unanimously to name Thomas as the sole candidate for the job after narrowing their search to five finalists.

Thomas will replace current manager John Phillips, who asked in August to be allowed to step aside to resume his former job of Franklin County Engineer and Planning Director.

The Franklin County Commission then began a search for Phillips’ replacement with a view towards hiring someone with a strong background in finances.

Franklin County Commission Chair Thomas Bridges said a total of 19 candidates had applied for the job and after reviewing the applications, the five finalists were interviewed by Board members.

But Bridges said Thomas’ qualifications stood out from the rest.

“She has a very strong financial background, about as strong as I’ve had the opportunity to interview and talk to,” he said. “She also is a strong people person and has a strong work ethic. She certainly came to the top.”

Thomas is an honors graduate of Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

She is currently employed as the Director of Consolidated Reporting for Pruitt Health in Toccoa where she is responsible for financial statements, audit preparations, and financial reporting oversight.

Commissioner Clint Harper said he believes Thomas is the right choice for Franklin County.

“I’m also very excited that the county will have its first female county manager. I think that’s great,” said Harper.

Under the terms of her three-year contract, Franklin County will pay Thomas $92,000 a year to start with an additional $400 a month in mileage re-imbursement and maintenance on her personal vehicle.