The City of Pinehurst has a new administrator with a similar name to the outgoing one. The City Council approved Jerry Hood as the Interim City Administrator on May 22 to replace his brother Robbie Hood who has resigned to take the position of City Manager in Vidor.
In the two weeks since his appointment Jerry has been working with big brother Robbie to learn the job of city administrator. “Robbie’s taking time to train me on things to give me the basic foundation of the job and the things he’s worked hard to do and give me the tools that I need to continue them on,” Jerry Hood explained.
Jerry comes to Pinehurst after working as an assistant director for the Orange County Drainage District. Jerry indicated the transition from one job to the other should be smooth. “There are a few things that are different from the drainage district to the city, but overall, it’s similar,” Hood replied.
Robbie Hood believes his brother Jerry will do a good for the City of Pinehurst. Robbie pointed out the city is governed by a city council while the drainage district answers to a board of directors. In both cases his brother Jerry has worked well with a higher authority and will do so again in his new position to make things happen to the benefit of the citizens.
The older Hood observed that his brother follows directions well, even from his big brother, because of his years in the United States Air Force and is a fast learner. “I’m proud of him. I think he’s going to do a great job. The city staff has started a lot of projects in the last couple of years, and I’m proud to see that my brother is going to be able to carry on that legacy and see it to fruition,” Robbie Hood stated. “The citizens of Pinehurst deserve the best, and I think that’s what they’re going to get.”
The younger Hood will help conduct the next City Council meeting in Pinehurst scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, in the Grady Johnson Council Chamber at the City Hall. Older brother Robbie said he will be in attendance to answer any questions if needed.
On the projects’ agenda will be preparing the budget for next fiscal year in Pinehurst. That task starts with requests which are due on Hood’s desk the second week of June from the various municipal departments.
After receiving the budget requests, workshops between the Interim City Administrator Jerry Hood and the department heads will be conducted to prepare their budgets. “We’ll be sitting down with all the department heads and going over their proposed budget and taking a look at what the needs are and seeing where we can budget the funds to fulfill those needs,” Hood said.
There are also some opportunities for grant funds to benefit Pinehurst. Meetings are scheduled for the Hoods to explore those opportunities for grants according to Jerry.
Brother Robbie will continue as the City Administrator for Pinehurst through Monday, June 15. He officially takes his position as the City Manager of Vidor on June 16.
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