Sandy Springs city manager could be leaving for South Carolina

McDonough told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution on Tuesday that recruiters over the years had reached out to him, but this time was different.

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“Greenville has personal interest for me, as I have family who live there,” said McDonough, who graduated from The Citadel military college in Charelston.

McDonough runs the day-to-day operations of Sandy Springs and handles a budget of $400 million, according to the city website.

McDonough’s possible departure comes as the city radically changes the way it does business from the privatism model of contracting out almost all daily government functions to hiring hundreds of people to bring them in-house.

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This was a cornerstone trait of Sandy Springs when leaders founded the city in 2005, triggering the metro-wide cityhood movement.

The city says in McDonough's online bio that he "is recognized as a leading authority on the implementation of public/private partnerships and has presented nationally and internationally on the concept and benefits to local governments."

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According to a December 2005 story in the AJC, McDonough was hired at an annual salary of $160,000 after being the city manager of Beaufort, South Carolina.

A retired Marine Corps. colonel, McDonough said Tuesday that his current Sandy Springs salary was $249,750.

The Greenville newspaper reported that McDonough is competing with the chief operating office/deputy city manager of Mesquite, Texas and the assistant city manager of Gainesville, Florida.

“I am exploring the opportunity and a decision is expected soon,” McDonough said Tuesday.

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