Thursday, July 26, 2007
Bibb Solicitor Chosen as Top by Georgia Peers


By Keich Whicker
(please contact the writer for permission to reprint this article
478-744-4494)

Bibb County State Court Solicitor Otis Scarbary holds his award Wednesday in Macon after being named the state Solicitor of the Year by the Georgia Association of Solicitor's General.

Bibb County's Otis Scarbary was named the state's Solicitor of the Year this week by a group of his peers.

Scarbary, who has served as the county's State Court solicitor since he was first elected to the position in 1996, learned that the Georgia Association of Solicitor's General had tapped him for the annual award during the group's summer convention at Jekyll Island.

"I guess they couldn't find anyone else to give it to," Scarbary joked shortly after hearing the news.

Association President Charles A. Spahos, who is the Henry County solicitor, said the group chose Scarbary ahead of several other candidates because of his years of work with the association.

"We picked Otis because he has been a big factor in the organization for a long time, and quite frankly, has been overlooked for a number of years," he said. "He's certainly been deserving of it."

Spahos went on to say that Scarbary was a "good solicitor general" who also wasn't afraid to lend a helping hand with "the fight at the Capitol" concerning legislation that affects the state's 60 or so solicitors.

At the association's annual convention, solicitors from across the state gather to educate themselves about new laws, talk through problems they have encountered in their work, and discuss whether they want to lobby the state's General Assembly for changes in the upcoming sessions, Spahos said.

"Obviously, issues that we deal with are not unique to our counties," he said. "(Scarbary's) somebody that's always been there...on those issues."

Another component of the convention is "helping younger solicitors along," Spahos said, detailing another area of service where Scarbary has been particularly active in recent years.

Scarbary, 55, has been working in the Bibb County solicitor's office for more than 24 years. He joined the office in 1983 as an assistant solicitor. In 1996, he ran against J. Robert Sikes - another assistant solicitor - and became the county's first new solicitor in 40 years.

Scarbary replaced Clarence Clay Jr., who became solicitor in 1956 and ran unopposed until health problems prevented him from seeking an 11th term. Since winning his position, Scarbary has faced no opposition on the ballot.

"It's nice to get an award and get recognized by your peers for what you do," he said of the award, a golden eagle trophy. "I don't know that I've done anything special during the year. I think I was probably recognized for serving in a number of capacities...for my longevity...for the work I do for (state) legislation."

Scarbary, who has been on the association's nominating committee a number of times in recent years, said he should have realized he was a potential nominee when the group didn't ask him to reprise his role on the committee.

"That should have been a dead giveaway," he said.