The Oglethorpe Echo
Billy Pittard said he wants more time to work his family’s farm in Smithonia and see his two grandsons, who attend Oglethorpe County Middle School.
With that in mind, he decided to step down from his position as the county manager in White County on Oct. 22.
Pittard, a former chair of the Oglethorpe County Commission, said Tuesday that he never moved out of Oglethorpe County for the jobs in Barrow and White counties.
He said he’ll look for something part-time and not work a “full-time gig.” He and his wife raise cows and chickens on their farm.
“After 28 years, it’s harder and harder to get that kind of stuff done,” he said.
Pittard will remain county manager for three months and be on call until next April, he said. Derick Canupp, the White County public works director and assistant county manager, is the sole finalist for the position.
“I think this is going to be a good situation going forward,” Pittard told the White County News. “It should be seamless and doesn’t create a lot of unknowns.”
Pittard was hired as operations manager for Barrow County in November 2021. He was the interim county manager for Barrow County when he was hired for the same position in White County in May 2023.
Pittard told the White County News that he’s proud of what he was able to accomplish there. He managed short-term rentals, assisted in the hire of a new finance director, helped the elections office navigate turnover and oversaw White County take the rollback rate, the paper reported.
"White County is a great place," Pittard told the newspaper. "It’s been right for what I’ve wanted to do. I’ve enjoyed the people, I’ve enjoyed the staff I work with. Everything has been top-notch."