The Guthrie city council announced their new city manager at a special city meeting on Thursday evening. The announcement comes less than three months since the position became open.
Following a 56 minute executive session, the council voted 6-0 and announced Leroy Alsup as the new City leader. Mayor Steve Gentling was the lone absent council member.
His start date will be Feb. 6, 2017.
The negotiated contract was not made available after the session. The city attorney is expected to review the terms on Friday.
“I think Guthrie is a quality community. It is located in an area where it can be successful in the future. Being on Interstate 35 is an asset for both recruiting distribution and retail,” Alsup told Guthrie News Page after the special city meeting.
“It will be important to try maintain the character of the town as it grows in the future. It’s a quality community now, but I think there is still additional opportunities and I want to be a part of the management team working with all the other public entities,” Alsup.
The council interviewed four candidates inside City Hall on Dec. 10.
Alsup, 61, has over 30 years in municipal management and most recently comes from McAlester, Oklahoma, where he served as their director of community planning and economic development. A position he has held since October of 2013.
Before arriving to McAlester, Alsup served two years as the city manager for Catoosa. He held the same position at Cowley County, Kansas for seven years and Coffeyville, KS for 10 years. In the 1990’s he served in Cushing’s top city spot.
Alsup cites accomplishments that include successful strategies for industrial development and job expansion, project leadership for financing and construction of numerous public facilities, and effective management of municipal electric utilities. He earned a masters degree in public administration from the University of Kansas, and the designations Credentialed Manager by ICMA (International City and County Management Association) and Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council.
While at McAlester, Alsup was hired at an annual base salary of $85,000 and $92,750 at Catoosa.
Alsup was the first ever city manager at Catoosa after the city elected to go away from a strong mayor council. Ultimately, Alsup resigned from his post.
“I think there was a backlash from people who wanted the old form instead of the new,” Alsup told the McAlester News-Capital in 2013. He concluded by saying, “They wanted their own person. It wasn’t going too well. We worked out a mutually beneficial agreement where I resigned.”
In August 2013, Alsup was a finalist for two city manager positions in Kansas (Augusta and Junction City).
For Guthrie, the City terminated former city manager Bruce Johnson this past September after serving 13 months. The City did not release any details on his termination. Johnson’s separation pay appears to be an ongoing issue with the City.
Three days later on Sept. 23, the City announced City Clerk Kim Biggs as the interim city manager.
Guthrie has seen seven city managers in 16 years not including interim city managers.
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