By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster City Administrator George Henry is now the city’s manager, and Marsha Massey is the city’s treasurer after the Alabaster City Council voted during a March 4 meeting to make several changes to the city’s staffing layout.

During the meeting, the council voted to separate the city clerk and treasurer positions into two city employees, created a city manager position and filled the city manager and treasurer positions.

Massey previously served as both the Alabaster city clerk and treasurer.

The council also voted to authorize Mayor Marty Handlon to hire a city finance director to help handle the city’s finances.

Handlon previously said having a treasurer and finance director will help ensure a “system of checks and balances” when dealing with the city’s finances. Handlon also said separating the financial responsibilities into two positions will help offset the increase in work caused by the city’s growth over the past several years.

Alabaster began advertising the finance director position opening on March 5.

The staffing changes, which Handlon proposed shortly after taking office in November 2012, came after a few months of discussions by the City Council.

Henry was appointed as city manager through 2016. Beginning in 2016, each City Council will have the authority to remove the city manager or reappoint the individual to another four-year term.

The council also could agree to leave the city manager position vacant. Once appointed to a four-year term, it takes a two-thirds vote of the City Council to remove the individual mid-term.

As city manager, Henry has the authority to appoint and remove city employees and appointees, and can make purchases up to $100 without council approval.

Henry also will provide monthly financial reports to the council and help construct the city’s budget each year. Council members previously said Henry performed many of the actions of a city manager while he was city administrator.

The council also named Henry as the acting city clerk. Council members previously said naming him acting clerk will allow the city to conduct a “trial run” with the city clerk and city manager positions combined before formally voting on the matter.