Tom Couch, who after 20 years as Bulloch County manager is resigning effective Nov. 29, leaves with a list of accomplishments and, he says, no regrets. But he acknowledges that an upheaval in progress on the Board of Commissioners with this year’s elections has much to do with the timing.

In an email to some media organizations Friday, Oct. 23, Couch announced his resignation. What wasn’t reported then, but has been confirmed now, is that he has been hired by the government of York County – population about 298,000, county seat York but largest city Rock Hill – in South Carolina, as one of two new assistant county managers.

Also confirmed, Bulloch County commissioners have discussed appointing Assistant County Manager Cindy Steinmann as interim county manager. She could serve until a search would be conducted – by the new board as constituted in January 2025 – and a new permanent county manager hired. Steinmann says she is considering the interim appointment but will not be a candidate for the permanent manager position.

“After careful consideration, I have made the decision to step down from my role as county manager,” Couch said in last week’s email. “This has not been an easy decision, but after 20 years of service, I feel it is the right time to move aside and embrace new personal and professional opportunities.”

Couch succeeded Scott Wood as county manager in 2004, coming to Bulloch from Henry County. Although originally from metro Detroit, he has made his career in Georgia, serving also with Coffee County and as city manager in Glennville.

Couch had given his resignation letter to the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners in executive session on Oct. 15. The Statesboro Herald’s reporter, sent out with other members of the public, observed that Couch left that closed-door session to talk with some county department heads while Steinmann remained with the commissioners.

“Serving the residents of Bulloch County has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life,” Couch wrote in his letter. “Over the past two decades, I have had the privilege of working with exceptional co-leaders and employee associates, honest and dedicated County Commissioners, and other County elected officials.

“I am incredibly grateful for the trust and support I have received throughout my tenure,” he wrote. “This community and the relationships I’ve built here will always hold a special place in my heart. I look forward to watching Bulloch County continue to thrive in the years to come.”

The commissioners took no vote except to return to open session at the end of the Oct. 15 meeting. Approached at that time, Chairman Roy Thompson said he had nothing to report “yet.” But with Couch’s resignation now public, Thompson talked about it when phoned this week.

“I can promise you this, that Roy Thompson as chairman of the commission board is saddened by his departure, and I think all the other commissioners are also,” Thompson said.  “I mean he is really smart and deliberate and conscientious in obtaining information and passing it on to us. He has been a tremendous asset to Bulloch County and its forward progress.”

Election upheaval

Couch’s resignation comes after Thompson, who had been a district-elected commissioner for 12 years and then countywide-elected board chairman for eight, lost his re-election bid to David Bennett in Republican primary in May. Two Republican district commissioners, Jappy Stringer and Curt Deal, also lost to primary challengers and longtime Democratic commissioner Ray Mosley faces a Republican challenger in next week’s general election.

One new commissioner has already joined the board. After Deal resigned to move out of the county, Ray Davis, who defeated Deal in the primary for the next term, was appointed by judges and sworn in last Friday to complete Deal’s term through December. The other new members will be sworn in around Jan. 1, and the current board will leave the new commissioners the task of making a permanent hire for the county manager job.

“We’re going to have to hire an interim to take his place until the new commissioners and chairman come in, and it will  be up to them to either retain the interim we’ve hired or do their own hiring,” Thompson said Tuesday.

He acknowledged that the commissioners had asked Steinmann to consider serving as interim commissioner but had not received  an answer yet. He called her “brilliant” and said she “has done an outstanding job” but is “no Tom Couch” in terms of experience. Steinmann has served as a Bulloch County staff member for 10 years and was promoted to assistant county manager three years ago.

“I have not accepted it but I am considering it,” Steinman said Wednesday, referring only to the interim county manager role.

She said she wants to help ensure a smooth transition.

 “I don’t have any intent of taking the role permanently.” Steinmann added. “So my intent is to keep the ship afloat until such time as the commissioners have recruited and hired a replacement county manager. … I’ll be a resource for commissioners and happy to assist in any recruitment.”

Currently $200,000 job

Asked what the new commissioners should look for in a permanent manager, Thomspon had said, “someone with the qualifications that Tom Couch possesses.”

Couch, with 35 years experience with city and county governments, attained a salary here of $202,456.

“And I think it’s going to take more than that to hire somebody even with less qualifications,” Thompson said.

County accomplishments

In 2004, Bulloch’s population was about 61,000. The World Population Review estimates that Bulloch in 2024 has about 85,616 residents.

Couch’s list of Bulloch County government accomplishments during those 20 years include a number of public safety and court system initiatives.

For example, the Animal Shelter was upgraded from “substandard  operations  and facilities” to “improved relationships” with the public and a “no-kill” framework.

The county Fire Department has progressed from 100% volunteers in 2004 to now have 18 full-time firefighters, three battalion chiefs and two fire prevention inspectors, as well as 55 volunteers, now with three 24-hour staffed stations as well a eight volunteer stations and seven substations.

Emergency Medical Service ambulances have been upgraded from “deficient” to “state of the art,” he stated. The EMS has expanded from the one station in Statesboro to four now, including those in Brooklet, Portal and Register.

He and the commissioners have worked with the sheriff “to fund a robust SRO (school resource officer) program, more road deputies investigators and court security.” Working with judges and others, an accountability court program was  established in 2013 to work with clients with drug or mental health issues.

“When you get right down to it, I didn’t create the impact, I was just an agent for the Board of Commissioners, you know,” Couch said in an interview. “I tried to do their will, though policy, as they saw fit. So the credit always goes to the Board of Commissioners and the other elected officials.”

His management and staff initiatives have included such things as hiring the county’s first chief financial officer in 2007. Since 2015, the CFO has been a certified public accountant. The county’s Human Resources Department was created in 2006. Couch hired the county’s first planning and development director, with degree and certification in the field, in 2022.

“If there was a feat that I was particularly proud of where I had impact, it’s trying to build a culture of professionalism and competent service delivery,” Couch said.

That included a focus on “succession planning” so that when some long-serving department heads retired, such as in the Public Safety-EMS, Recreation Department and Tax Assessor offices, the county could bring in or promote the most competent available professionals, he said.

Couch, who recently turned 64, said he wanted to work here two or three more years but events of the last year or more convinced him the time has come to leave.

A local advocacy group, the Bulloch Action Coalition, which formed during opposition to a 2023 property tax millage rate increase enacted on top of an inflationary rise in assessed property values, campaigned against all county incumbents.

Opposition to the governments of Bulloch and Bryan counties drilling four large wells here to supply water to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, and to certain zoning decisions, coalesced with the anti-tax fervor. For about a year and a half, the board and Couch have heard heated criticism during various public meetings.

Knew it was time

Couch said two codes of conduct he subscribes to as a county manager make it his professional and ethical responsibility to maintain the public’s trust and confidence.

“Clearly, whether it was the Bulloch Action Coalition, their candidates, the new commissioners coming in or yet to come in, I somehow became a target of their ire, and I think when you go through a year where you sit in public meetings where you’re subject to catcalling, insults and sarcasm, and then there’s social media, which can be particularly vicious … I don’t think you have to be a Rhodes Scholar to know,” he said.

He noted that he was even named on “Vote the incumbents out,” signs, although he was appointed by the board and not elected.

“I have no regrets whatsoever,” Couch said. “I did the job the best I could. I tried to do everything that was asked of me in an ethical and honorable and responsible way. I’m sure I’ve made some mistakes along the way. … But I’d like to think, if I’ve been here 20-plus years, I probably did something right.”