Carter Crawford, who was once Statesboro’s city manager and more recently Metter’s city manager and who has served as interim manager or administrator for other local governments in the area, now has Brooklet calling him to be its interim first city manager.

Brooklet had until this year a mayor-and-council form of government in which the elected mayor could provide oversight of daily operations and council members reported on specific functions assigned to them, such as finance. But after a 3-2 vote of the City Council as it existed on Dec. 21, 2023, to switch to a city manager form of government, a new Brooklet City Charter was introduced as local legislation in the Georgia General Assembly by Rep. Lehman Franklin, passed almost unanimously by the House and Senate in March and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 6.

The last item on the agenda for the Brooklet Council’s called special meeting Thursday evening, July 11 was the appointment of an interim city manager. This followed a brief, closed-door “executive” session.

Mayor Nicky Gwinnett then called for consideration of a motion to appoint Crawford to the interim city manager role, with Brooklet’s new city attorney, Ben Perkins of Savannah, to negotiate contract terms with Crawford by next Thursday’s regular council meeting if possible, or otherwise by a called July 30 work session. He would start work Aug. 1, Gwinnett said.

Council members said Crawford is expected to serve eight to 10 months, helping Brooklet transition to a city manager form of government and in the search for a permanent city manager.

The council vote was 5-0.

Crawford was not reached by phone Friday.