Appling County commissioners voted after an executive session to extend a contract offer to Reed Lovett to serve as county manager, with a $150,000 annual salary and an anticipated start date of Jan. 1 pending his acceptance.

The board announced that, if Lovett accepts the contract at a signing expected the following day, Reed Lovett and interim county manager Mike Deal will have a transition period in December. The commissioners said Deal will remain available afterward as needed.

The action followed an executive-session personnel discussion. During the roll call recorded immediately afterward, Commissioner Durham stated he opposed the contract; at least one other commissioner verbally recorded a “yes.” The commission instructed the chairman and the clerk to execute the contract once Lovett signs it; the board said the signed contract will be released to the county clerk and posted to the county website and published in the newspaper.

Commissioners who spoke in favor argued Lovett’s engineering and project-submission experience would allow the county to prepare and submit projects in-house, reducing outside engineering fees on large capital projects. One commissioner estimated those savings could offset part of the salary, citing earlier bridge and road projects as examples where in-house capacity could reduce consultant fees.

The board also discussed transition logistics and public notification; the county said it will publish the contract after Lovett’s signature.

Votes and procedural questions about whether the vote needed to be taken publicly were raised during the meeting; the board completed a roll-call confirmation of the vote immediately after executive session.