$185,000 salary, $60,000 exit reserve in proposed city-manager deal

A proposed employment agreement for Tammi Saddler Jones would pay the Powder Springs city manager $185,000 a year and require the Georgia city to set aside $60,000 for a possible future severance obligation.⁠[1][2]

The agreement fills in the pay and duration left unverified in our earlier appointment preview. It calls for an initial term from Nov. 2, 2026, through Nov. 1, 2028, with two additional one-year extensions available by mutual agreement between Jones and the city.⁠[1][2]

Beyond salary, the city would contribute an amount equal to 6% of her annual base pay to retirement accounts she designates, in addition to retirement benefits available to other city employees. The agreement bars a salary increase before Nov. 1, 2027, except for an across-the-board cost-of-living increase approved for all city employees.⁠[2]

The $60,000 reserve would not be an automatic payout. The severance section provides 90 days of base salary if the city removes her without cause, or declines an extension without giving 90 days’ advance notice. It also provides 90 days of continued city insurance contributions, which the city could end sooner if she becomes eligible for coverage through another employer. The reserve would come from fiscal 2027 General Fund money.⁠[2]

The proposed agreement contains a tension on job protection: its tenure section says Jones may be terminated only for cause during the initial two-year term, while its severance section also describes removal without cause during that same term. Both provisions appear in the document.⁠[2]

Council is scheduled to consider the appointment and employment agreement on its consent agenda Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 4483 Pineview Drive. The agenda seeks approval of the appointment and authorization for the mayor to sign; these documents do not establish a completed vote or an executed agreement.⁠[1]