Posted 12:16 am Saturday, April 14, 2012
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Cottle Resigns Unexpectedly As Troup City Administrator
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
Gene Cottle’s short stint as Troup city administrator has come to an end, just weeks after City Council members voted to approve his employment.
Cottle, whose first official day was April 2, resigned Tuesday during a council meeting.
He said he thought he sold his family business, but the man who was set to purchase Cottle Funeral Home in Troup and Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home in Overton backed out at the last minute.
Staff Writer
Gene Cottle’s short stint as Troup city administrator has come to an end, just weeks after City Council members voted to approve his employment.
Cottle, whose first official day was April 2, resigned Tuesday during a council meeting.
He said he thought he sold his family business, but the man who was set to purchase Cottle Funeral Home in Troup and Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home in Overton backed out at the last minute.
“This is no reflection on the city. The reflection’s on me,” he said by phone Friday afternoon.
“The man called Good Friday morning and told me he was backing out on the purchase, so that gave me the weekend to figure out what I was going to do. I never intended to do both jobs.”
He went on to say he’s not pleased that his resignation put the city in some turmoil and that it was not a good thing for Troup or his family.
“The man called Good Friday morning and told me he was backing out on the purchase, so that gave me the weekend to figure out what I was going to do. I never intended to do both jobs.”
He went on to say he’s not pleased that his resignation put the city in some turmoil and that it was not a good thing for Troup or his family.
“It’s unfortunate that things didn’t work out for either of us — the city or myself — like we wanted to. I felt like the city would be in a worse situation if I tried to continue on and do both jobs. Sometimes it comes to a point where you need to say ‘We need to move quickly’ and that’s what we did,” Cottle said.
Cottle also resigned from his position on the Troup Community Development Corp. board to take the city administrator position. At some point, he might consider going back to that board, he said.
Troup Mayor John Whitsell said last month he believed hiring Cottle was “a great move for the city.”
“Gene is knowledgeable because he is familiar with Troup and the infrastructure,” he has said. “He’ll be able to hit the ground running. He’s pretty much up to speed already and can do a good job for us.”
Cottle also resigned from his position on the Troup Community Development Corp. board to take the city administrator position. At some point, he might consider going back to that board, he said.
Troup Mayor John Whitsell said last month he believed hiring Cottle was “a great move for the city.”
“Gene is knowledgeable because he is familiar with Troup and the infrastructure,” he has said. “He’ll be able to hit the ground running. He’s pretty much up to speed already and can do a good job for us.”
