Fourteen Hours Later, No Decision On Milton's City Manager's Fate

By DOUG NURSE / The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 07/30/07

It has taken juries less time to weigh evidence of murder and render verdicts of guilt or acquittal.

Cities have fallen, battles won, history changed in fewer ticks of the clock.

But this is Milton.

The City Council met Monday in executive session on "personnel matters" after City Manager Aaron Bovos waited four months to tell the council the city would probably lose about $900,000 because it had missed a deadline with the state. An angry council met behind closed doors to decide Bovos's fate.

At 10:30 p.m., 14 1/2 hours later, they adjourned with no decision.

They began deliberating at 8:08 a.m. while the birds still chirped their morning song. The moon hung low in the sky, and breakfast buffets were still open.Morning gave way to midday, and the council had taken a scant 20-minute break. They again retreated to their inner sanctum .

Occasionally, a City Council member would come out and murmur, "A couple more hours" or "a little while longer." Sometimes their visage bore bemused expressions, sometimes weary, sometimes somber, rarely hopeful.

Afternoon came, and then nighttime. Atlanta's legendary traffic surged, clogged, thinned and was gone. News cycles came and went. Eight, nine, ten hours passed, and they remained ensconced in their secret chambers.

From behind the doors, the voices sometimes would be loud. Sometimes there would be laughter.

Twelve, 13 hours and no decision.

Then, they ordered pizza.