Peggy Merriss
City Manager

The City Commission hires a full-time professional administrator, the City Manager, who supervises and manages the daily operations of the City. Decatur's current city manager is Peggy Merriss. Merriss has worked for the City since 1983. She served for six years as personnel director, four years as Assistant City Manager, and has been in her current position since 1993. She received a BA in political science from Converse College and a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Hugh Saxon
Deputy City Manager

Hugh oversees the City’s capital improvement and construction management programs. He was hired as Decatur’s economic develop in 1977, and became public works director in 1989. He was appointed deputy city manager in 2004. Hugh has a BA in economics from the University of North Carolina and a master’s in landscape architecture from Harvard University.
 

Meredith Roark
Assistant to the City Manager

The Assistant to the City Manager works on special projects assigned by the city manager and the assistant city managers. She is instrumental in helping prepare the City’s budget, assists with emergency planning efforts, and coordinates the Citizen Request Management system. She began in May 2006 as a summer intern and accepted a permanent position in May 2007. Meredith has a BBA in economics from the University of Georgia and a master's degree in public policy from Georgia Tech.

Location and Office Hours
Decatur City Hall, second floor
509 North McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
404-370-4102.

Email
To contact a City employee by email, use the following format:
First Name.Last Name@decaturga.com
Example: John.Doe@decaturga.com

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Overview
Decatur has operated under a commission-manager form of government since 1920. The Charter of the City of Decatur establishes the City Commission as the governing and legislative authority of the City government. Day-to-day operations of the City's various departments and implementation of policies established by the City Commission are the responsiblity of the City Manager, a professional administrator appointed by the City Commission.

 Commission-Manager Form of Government
Under a system of local government called the council-manager form, the elected officials are the community leaders and policy makers who establish a vision for their city, town, or county, and who hire the manager to carry out policy and ensure that all residents are being equitably served. The manager coordinates the work of department heads and other employees, who help ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of services. The Manager serves at the pleasure of the commission and has responsibility for preparing the budget, directing day-to-day operations, hiring and firing personnel, and serving as the Commission's chief policy advisor.

City of Decatur Organization

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