Monday, January 13, 2025–8:00 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Rome City Commissioner Craig McDaniel has been re-elected Rome’s mayor.
The Rome City Commission voted Monday to reappoint McDaniel.
“It is an honor to serve as the mayor of this city,” McDaniel said. “There have been some people that have sat in this chair that I have tremendous respect for, and I will never fill those shoes, but it’s an honor. We had a good year last year and we are going to have a great year this year.”
The vote was not unanimous.
Commissioner Mark Cochran voted “no.”
Jim Bojo was elected mayor pro tem and Rome City Manager Sammy Rich was reappointed.
Commissioners Cochran and Harry Brock voted against Rich’s reappointment.
Rich then appointed officials and authorizing agents, management staff, department directors, and other staff.
Officials and Authorized Agents
City Commission Clerk & Secretary – Joe Smith
Assistant City Clerk & Secretary – Mark Green
City Attorney – J. Anderson Davis
Assistant City Attorney – Frank Beacham, Sam Lucas, and Lee Carter
Municipal Court Judge – Chris Jackson
Assistant Municipal Court Judge – John Scott Husser
City Physician – Atrium Health Floyd Employer Clinic
Official Publication Organ – Rome News-Tribune
Depositories & Investment Institutions – Bank OZK, Synovus, Greater Community Bank, First National Community Bank, Regions Bank, River City Bank, Truist Bank, United Community Bank, Wells Fargo, Local Government Investment Pool – State of Georgia, East West Bank
Auditor – Mauldin & Jenkins Certified Public Accountants, LLC
Management Staff
Assistant City Manager – Meredith Ulmer
Assistant to the City Manager – Kelley Ledford
Water & Sewer Division Director – John Boyd
Finance Division Director – Toni Rhinehart
Public Works Division Director/Traffic Engineer – Chris Jenkins
Department Directors
Fire Chief – Troy Brock
Police Chief – Denise Downer-McKinney
Human Resources Director – Kristy Shepard
Community Development Director – Bekki Fox
City Clerk – Joe Smith
Solid Waste & Landfill Director – Tim Garrett
Purchasing Director – Becky Smyth
Building Official – James Martin
Cemetery Superintendent – Jody Gonzalez
Street Department Director – Chad Hampton
Transit Director – Courtnay Griffin
City Engineer/Engineering Services Director– Aaron Carroll
City Arborist – Ernest Watson
Water Treatment Facility Director – Wayne Stanley
Water Reclamation Facility Director – Jeff Hill
Water Billing Director – Bryan Parris
Water/Sewer Operations Director – Brandon Cook
Office of Technology Services Director – Johnny Bunch
Rome/Floyd County Planning Director – Brice Wood
Rome/Floyd E.C.O. Center / Keep Rome-Floyd Beautiful Coordinator– Hannah Bagley
Rome/Floyd E.C.O. Center Director – Ben Winkelman
Downtown Development Director – Suzanne Roberts
Other Staff & Operators
Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director – Lisa Smith
Rome Tennis Center/Downtown Tennis Center – Cliff Drysdale Tennis
Stonebridge Golf Course – Troon/Indigo Sport
Also Monday, the commission set election qualifying fees for 2025.
The fee will be 3% of the annual salary of the commissioner or school board member, and will be paid by candidates qualifying during the August 18 through August 22, 2025 qualifying period.