By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald
At its regular meeting Sept. 23, the Rincon City Council voted to approve the appointment of Robert Byrd as its new city manager.
Byrd started his new post Sept. 25. He had previously been the city manager for Pooler for the past 20 years.
“That’s what we wanted,” said Councilmember Mona Underwood. “We wanted somebody familiar with the area.”
“It’s refreshing to have city officials who really care about the city,” Byrd said at the grocery giveaway Oct. 3, where various city employees and officials loaded cars with donated food and paper goods. “Reminds me of Pooler in 2010.”
After the vote to approve Byrd’s appointment was taken, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Exley said, “Twenty-one years in one place, you’ve got to be doing something right. And we’ll have him leading our staff. So very proud to say that.”
Byrd was appointed city manager of Pooler in 2004. He resigned that post in December 2023 and is currently in litigation with Pooler regarding terms of his separation package. He declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Byrd replaces Jonathan Lynn who was on a medical leave from his post as Rincon’s city manager when he abruptly resigned his post in August. Lynn had been city manager since September 2022. He was suspended June 1, 2023, and reinstated June 29, 2023, after a public hearing where several coworkers and members of the public spoke on Lynn's behalf.