Warner Robins Council convened Tuesday night to talk about oversight for city projects.
They agree there's a need, but disagree on who should manage the jobs.
The retirement of long time purchasing agent Mark Baker sparked the debate on how to best fill his former duties.
Council member Daron Lee and Mayor Chuck Shaheen want to split Baker's old job into two jobs: a purchasing agent and a procurement manager.
Lee says the city needs a procurement manager, because many projects in his district are not getting done.
He wants a "go-to person" who is responsible for knowing the status of all city projects.
Council members Mike Daley, Mike Davis and Carolyn Robbins say there's no need to create another position, when city department heads can handle managing projects with oversight from the mayor.
Mike Daley said, "We don't need to be adding another high level position within the city. We need to stay on our budget plan. All of those department heads have a boss, and that boss is the mayor."
Council member Mike Davis said he would not vote to add another city position until there's better communication between the mayor, council and department heads.
The mayor said he has an "open door policy" and that struggles about communication never come up, until the group is in front of the public.
Council member Daron Lee said, "If we had someone who monitored those contracts, monitored those projects and came back to us with a timeline on a monthly basis and let us know the what, why, where, when and how to particular projects, things will get completed, I believe."
Shaheen said the procurement manager's salary would be about $55,000 and would come from a portion of Baker's vacated position.
Baker left the city to take a job as the purchasing agent for Houston County.
Council did not vote on the ordinance Tuesday night. It will come up again at their next council meeting in two weeks.
Also Tuesday night, council members unanimously approved a resolution asking Congress to find a solution to sequestration. That's the massive automatic budget cut that's set to take place in January 2013.
If Congress can't reach a budget deal by then, it could trigger a $500 billion cut over the next ten years.
The Warner Robins resolution asks Congress to act in the nation's best interest, by coming together to get the country's finances in order.
Council member Carolyn Robbins said, "That's not good for the country, or for the state, or for our city. We need to at least be able to come to some sort of agreement, without having to come to major cutting, and that's what they are talking about doing."
Shaheen said Centerville Mayor John Harley asked him to get council to pass the resolution. He said the Houston County governments want to present a united front on the issue to Congress.
Council member Paul Shealy said last week he planned to update the council on plans for a dog park in the city. He said he did not do that Tuesday night, because of a full agenda. He also wants to take a look at another city's dog park.
In other council action, they promoted 15 members of the Warner Robins Fire Department. Council member Daron Lee said that happened as a result of numerous retirements.