20 hours Ago By Eden Hodges
BULLOCH COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — With budget-drawing season here, Bulloch County officials have named another interim county manager who’s doubling as the public safety director.Randy Tillman, the public safety director, said the county’s new chairman asked him if he was willing to take the job while they continue their search for a permanent replacement.
"We have a great public safety team here in Bulloch County, a lot of experience, very professional,” said Tillman. “They will continue to do their job as if I were there every day."The county hasn't had a permanent county manager since the last resigned four months ago after a turnover of seats on the commission.
Tillman has experience managing prison operations for the State of Georgia, before he became the county warden in 2018 and the public safety director last year. He told WSAV the new job can be pretty similar to his other work - considering a warden is a lot like the mayor of an incarcerated city."The prison system in Georgia was either the fifth or sixth largest city in the state - unfortunately- but you offer the same services that a large city or town would,” said Tillman.
He said although it's early in the process, the budget will probably have the same focus as the previous: infrastructure and public safety - to include the salaries of 37 new firefighters for the county department."There's certain services, life safety that you're going to continue to provide based on the anticipated growth of the community,” said Tillman.Officials told WSAV they don't have a clear number yet of what funding will be available - as they wait on state calculations for the homestead exemption.
Meanwhile, the county has hired a New York firm to search for a permanent county manager.Tillman will assume his role on April 10, after Cindy Steinman’s last day. Tillman said the two have been working together for the past couple weeks in order to prepare for the transition.
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