An emotional week in Flowery Branch ended on a positive note for City Manager Bill Andrew Thursday night, as the City Council reappointed him to his job for at least another year.

Earlier in the week, Andrew had said he planned to resign and was expecting the council to "consider a separation agreement" Thursday that he would sign this morning.

And council members had said a move was otherwise under way to fire him.

"I am saddened, embarrassed and strongly against (the) decision to terminate Bill, as he is an excellent city manager and genuinely cares about the city and seeing it prosper," Councilwoman Tara Richards said on Tuesday.

The council went into about a 15-minute closed-door meeting - one that featured Andrew walking in with Donnie Hunt, a lawyer who represents Oakwood - before voting on the reappointment.

They emerged to cast a 3-2 vote to keep him, with Councilman Kris Yardley and Councilwoman Amanda Swafford voting against his reappointment.

They cited financial reasons as the major concern.

"In our opinion, as members of this council, the pay scale for our city manager is disproportionately high for the current economic climate, the population and the environment of the city," Swafford said, adding she was speaking on behalf of Yardley.

"I'm in support of that statement," Yardley said.

Richards and councilmen Joe Anglin and Chris Fetterman voted for Andrew's reappointment.

"We've done ... studies in the past two months to look at his peers in the community and the region to see what kind of benefits and pay they get, and (Andrew is) right in the middle of what's paid out in the region," Richards said.

Anglin said this week he would vote against his firing. Mayor Mike Miller, who has spoken in support of Andrew, can only vote in case of a tie.

Fetterman, who offered no comments during the meeting, said afterward, "I think that Bill has done a good job in the past and ... will continue to do a good job in the future."

Andrew, who has been city manager for nearly five years, declined comment after the meeting.

Several local residents spoke up at the beginning of the meeting during a time reserved for public comment.

They called for the council to keep Andrew on board.

They also chided the council for making its internal squabbles so public.

"We're disappointed," Ed Asbridge said. "You've embarrassed the residents. You've handled it wrong and I think you know you've handled it wrong."

Former Councilman Ed Lezaj said the past week has been a low point even for a city that has seen more than its share of political troubles over the years.

"I was on a dysfunctional council and we never did that," he said.