Guymon City Council seeks resolution to ‘personnel issue’

August 31, 2012

The Guymon City Council voted 3-2 on Thursday evening to table a discussion on a budget amendment in the amount of $45,000 for the general fund.

The $45,000 amount is related to a “personnel issue” and was listed as an administrative expense. It was paired on the same general fund amendment with fuel and maintenance costs for the new vehicle used by the city’s Information Technology Department.

There were two budget amendments listed, and they’re normally voted on as one item, but council members wanted to vote on them separately in order to discuss the personnel issue. The personnel involved was not named publicly during the meeting.

“We’ve been doing this now for eight months,” said city council member Larry Swager.

“On the advice of counsel,” added Mayor Jim Norris.

City attorney David Petty said he is not handling that issue.

“Don’t point at me,” Petty said.

Council member William King asked when the item could be placed on an agenda for discussion, and City Manager Ted Graham said they could discuss it at the next city council meeting.

King, however, said he would not be at the next meeting.

“I sure would like to have a time, maybe we can have a special (meeting),” King said.

“I’ve asked, for the last two council meetings to have one (a discussion), I’ve been told not to because of attorneys,” Swager said.

“This has gotten all kinds of questions from everybody and nobody understands what’s going on,” King added. “This is a huge amount of money.”

The $45,000 amount includes $28,000 already spent on the personnel issue and an estimate of what it will cost to resolve it.

Mayor Jim Norris and council member John Van Meter voted not to table the issue, with Swager, King and Kim Peterson voting yes.

The other budget amendment — adding $3,000 to the library fund from a Collection Enhancement eBook Grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries — passed 4-1 with Van Meter voting no.