After terminating the city manager on Tuesday, the Guthrie city council named an interim city manager on Friday afternoon in a special meeting.
Inside City Hall, the seven member council named City Clerk/ Treasurer Kim Biggs as the interim.
Council members Sharyl Padgett, Jeff Taylor, Ed Wood, Brian Bothroyd, Gaylord Z. Thomas and Mayor Steve Gentling were present. Vice Mayor John Wood was absent from the 4 p.m. meeting.
Biggs has served as the clerk and treasurer since April 2014 after serving as Deputy Clerk for the City. Overall, she has been with the City since 2000.
Biggs graduated with honors from the University of Phoenix in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She is a member of the Oklahoma Municipal Clerks, Treasurers and Finance Officials Association and Government Finance Officers Association.
Biggs and her husband, Scott, live in Guthrie and have three sons Ryan, Mitchell and Ty.
The decision came after the council voted unanimously (6-0) to terminate former City Manager Bruce Johnson’s contract due to “cause and breach of contract.” Related article: City council terminates contract with city manager
Kim Biggs was named the Interim City Manager on Sept. 23.
The same seven council members selected Johnson to the top City position just 13 months ago.
City officials did not discuss the grounds for the termination due to being a “personnel” issue, according to City Attorney Randel Shadid.
Following the Sept. 6 council meeting, which Johnson shared stern sentiments toward the council’s commitment to the upcoming budget and capital improvements during the council meeting (watch the video), speculation began to center around Johnson’s residency. Related article: City council hires and fires city manager; speculation on residency
According to the contract between the City and Johnson, section 14 states “employee agrees to maintain a residence within the Guthrie city limits within six months and maintain during the term of his employment.”
The contract was dated and signed on March 1, 2016. Online records through the Logan County Assessor’s Office do not show a residence for Johnson in the county.
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