Newton County Manager Tom Garrett will be stepping down from his position next month to become the public works director for Barrow County.

The BCBOC unanimously approved Garrett's appointment Tuesday, and Newton County confirmed the news Wednesday in a press release. 

“I saw Tom’s talent, honesty, and integrity when I first took office," Chairman Keith Ellis said in a statement. "I am sad to see him go, but I am happy for him as he takes on a new job and I hope for all the best for him and his family.”

The statement went on to say that "Although hiring an equally capable County manager will be a challenging task, the Board of Commissioners will immediately begin the process of hiring another superior manager."

Garrett has agreed to stay on for the next 30 days to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. 

A Barrow County selection committee named Garrett the finalist after interviewing six candidates in March. He will oversee seven county departments with 41 employees that have a budget of $10.3 million.

Barrow County will use $77,690 from the FY15 budget to cover Garrett’s salary and benefits. His salary for 2016 will be $88,000, slightly more than his current county manager salary of $87,651.20.