City of Decatur “Lifers”
Decatur Metro | July 1, 2009A post over at The Decatur Minute reporting on the retiring of two COD firefighters who have been with the city for 21 and 36 years, respectively, reminded me of another way that we can measure Decatur’s success: employee tenure.
If you’ve participated in Decatur 101 or just like to hang around city hall on weekdays for the “free A/C”, you don’t need me to tell you that there is a seemingly endless line of people working for the city that have been around 10+ years, many up and beyond the 30 year mark.
Many residents know the most public Decatur “lifers”, like Peggy Merriss, Lyn Menne, Linda Harris, Hugh Saxon, Cheryl Burnette, and David Junger, but I swear to you that they are just the tip of the iceberg! There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of city employees, from police to fire to public works to city staff, who came to work for the city and never left.
Assuming that Peggy isn’t making everyone sign some kind of secret, unbreakable blood-pact, this is a truly extraordinary symptom of a well-functioning city government. So cheers to retiring firefighters Roosevelt Strong and Larry Pettit, and all of our other city employees old and new. We truly appreciate all your hard work and dedication to our fair city!
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Well, maybe not “thousands”.
You’re right! Millions!
Great comment. We are very lucky to live in Decatur. Another example and someone who will be missed, Mary Miller from the Decatur Rec is retiring after 28 years.
Mary has done wonderful things for the after school programs and summer camps in Decatur. She will be missed.
I have to say that I hope the new nomenclature for Decatur Rec–Decatur Active Living–and the moving of the youth sports venues to the new high school facility don’t mean a move away from Decatur’s commitment to youth sports, camps, and after school programs. I credit Decatur Rec for the sense of unity and community among families in Decatur no matter what the race, religion, ethnic group, or income level. It’s a warm, safe place for kids to hang out whether they are latch key kids or kids needing peer interaction or kids in search of sports. I worry that the CSD facilities will be more restricted because of liability issues and less of a safe hangout for evenings, weekends, and summers. The old Decatur Rec and its marquee may have been a bit dated and dowdy but they were the heart and soul of Decatur for many families from all parts of town.
Thanks Nick. The City of Decatur is really is a great place to work. TheDecaturMinute will post photos from Fire Chief Jerry Malone’s retirement today after 35 years.