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Monroe County Manager Jim Hedges retires after more than seven years in the role, having been hired in October 2018. During his tenure, he managed operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw a $20 million water project in Juliette, and addressed the replacement of aging county vehicles.

Finance Director Lorri Robinson-Byrd will succeed him as county manager starting Saturday. Notably, the county utilized 75% of its 2020 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds within 36 months, and the Juliette project was the largest water project in Georgia at that time. Key issues for Robinson-Byrd include building a new Animal Services facility, fleet management facility, negotiating with Google for a data center, renegotiating a water contract with Macon Water Authority, and negotiating an updated service delivery strategy with Forsyth and Culloden.