The Weatherford City Council recently approved changes to an ordinance that now requires city managers to live within the city limits.
The ordinance originally said that the council "may" require the city manager to reside in Weatherford.But at the Jan. 22 meeting, council member Heidi Wilder said she thought it was too vague and should instead be stated as a requirement and that they would then be given sufficient time to relocate if needed."I feel very strongly that they need to love this city as much as we do," Wilder said.In a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Dennis Hooks and member Jeff Robinson dissenting, council decided that "love for the city" must be shown by living in the city of Weatherford.Councilman Waymon Hamilton agreed with the decision and said if council members have to live in the city so they are affected by their decisions, then the city manager should as well."My personal belief is that we all live in the city of Weatherford," Wilder said. "It's the greatest city on Earth to live, and I think our city manager should live in the greatest place on Earth."Hooks said he worried that such a rule might limit their options in the future.Robinson said the new wording of the ordinance could force them to overlook ideal candidates, especially since some might not want to move because of schools their children might be attending or the location of family or land."What I feel like we want for our city manager is the best qualified city manager," Robinson said.Current City Manager Jerry Blaisdell said the wording of the ordinance had been written that way so the candidate and the city had options in case of circumstances preventing the candidate from moving."The whole family has to change their lifestyle as well," Blaisdell said about if a manager would have to move.Blaisdell, who does live in Weatherford, agreed that asking city managers to live in the city is a good decision.Wilder said if a city manager were hired that did not live in the city, they could be given a period of time such as 18 to 24 months before they had to have moved into Weatherford. The time frame would be given at the discretion of the City Council"My thought was if you want to be our city manager, I want you to have the commitment to live in the city and be a part of our community," Wilder said.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
