Toccoa city manager leaving post

TOCCOA, Ga. — The city of Toccoa will need to find a new city manager.

Billy Morse will not serve as city manager after this week, he said Wednesday. That will happen regardless, he said, of the outcome of the search for a new Franklin County manager, a post for which he is a finalist.

“I have decided not to seek reappointment for the 2010 calendar year,” Morse said. “To help me concentrate on the other opportunity, Franklin County, I am going to take some personal leave. Actually, Friday of this week will be my last day as an employee of the city of Toccoa.”

Morse is one of three finalists for the Franklin County manager position.

He said there is some sadness for him in his decision to leave a city for which he has worked for more than a quarter of a century.

“Twenty-six years with the city of Toccoa has been great,” he said. “This community has been very good to me. I am going to miss the folks that I work with. I will miss working with the citizens of this community. Again, I think I have an opportunity to stay in northeast Georgia and do what is best for this region. I am a strong believer in this area, and again, I look forward to the opportunity.”

Morse has worked for the city of Toccoa in a variety of positions including planning director, assistant city manager and public works director. He became city manager in June 2002.

He is proud of a lot that has happened in that time, but one accomplishment stands out in his mind, he said.

“When I took over as city manager in 2002, the city was on a downward spiral, quickly approaching bankruptcy because of the debt that we had incurred, and I took significant steps and was able to pull that back and quite frankly, the situation was improving,” Morse said. “Obviously, this recent economic downturn has hurt us as well. That is what I am most proud of, that I did turn the financial situation around in 2002.”

Morse said he is also proud of the stability he has brought to the city government over the last seven years.