Mike Brumby has decided against being the director of the parks and recreation department for Gilmer County.
“He has declined it,” said Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris.
Gilmer County commissioners unanimously approved Brumby as the director of the department Tuesday morning, May 2, at a special called meeting. The vote followed a closed session, which was the only item on the meeting agenda.
Brumby, who is the director of Whitepath Golf Course for the county, was going to be in charge of both entities in a restructuring.
Commissioners praised Brumby for making the golf course a successful department for the county. They were hoping he could perform a similar for the parks and recreation department, which has come under fire from parents of the Little League programs.
Tuesday night, after press deadline, Brumby had a change of heart.
“The realization of the amount of time and what it was going to take away from his home life gave him second thoughts,” said Paris. “I can understand that.”
He said Brumby also did not want the golf course to suffer.
This also puts the restructuring, which would combine the parks and recreation department and the golf course under one department head, on hold.
“We will have another discussion about who was the closest candidate to Mike,” Paris said.
He expects the subject to come up at the board of commissioner’s work session and regular meeting May 10 and 11.