Four government manager positions later, Zellner is about to become the first administrator Worth County has had in five years.
Reached on his cell phone Friday, Zellner said he’s visited Worth twice since submitting an application with county officials.
Worth Board of Commissioners Chairman Dan Miller said the commission could approve a contract with Zellner on Thursday.
After serving as Lamar County administrator for six years, Zellner was city manager of McDonough for eight months, then launched a career in jewelry — owning and operating Reems Jewelers of Thomaston for a decade, according to his resume.
He’d partnered with a “friend from school,” Pete Reems, and the pair owned and operated stores in Thomaston and Forsyth, Zellner said.
“That experience, it has given me a little knowledge on other-side-of-the-counter needs,” he said. “The bottom line is kept up with. You can’t spend more than you make.”
But after 10 years with Reems, in 2000 Zellner returned to government, serving for four years as city manager of Hampton, then two years as city manager of Villa Rica, according to his resume. His latest position, which ended in September after 15 months, was as county manager of Upson County.
“I’ve done it on the city side and the county side — there are some minor differences in counties, which operate with constitutional officers,” he said.
Those officers — such as sheriffs, tax commissioners and court clerks — are elected, yet their departments are supported with county funds.
“You have to work with them and make sure that their needs are met and there is cooperation between the constitutional officers and the commissioners,” he said.
Once known as commissioners of roads and revenues, county commissions have changed a great deal during the last 20 years, Zellner said.
“Things have changed. As areas become more and more urban, you’ve got to deal with that. You’ve got to plan for proper growth, making sure that you don’t get things all cluttered up,” he said.
While he may decrease the commission’s workload, he said, “They’ll pull at their own pace, (but) they have someone who can help guide them. That’s pretty much what the administrator or county manager position is, is the guiding tool for them.”
Zellner said he’s dealt with issues common to most county governments — road paving, resistance to property taxes — and he’s familiar with rural life, like that in much of Worth. He lives on a small farm near Culloden with a few cows.
“You fight with trying to make sure you’ve got the revenues coming it to support your programs. you’ve just got to decided between a want and a need. You’ve got to take care of your needs first,” he said.
Zellner said he will move to Worth, though his wife, an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration in Hampton, won’t leave the area until she retires.
Moving to Worth was a requirement set by the commission, Miller said.
Zellner will be a welcome addition, but may take some adjustments, he said.
“There are a lot of people who think that we need one,” Miller said.