McALESTER —
Ward 6 McAlester City Councilor Louis Smitherman says he’s working out the final details to become the new city manager at Healdton.
Healdton is a Carter County city of about 3,000 residents, 20 miles west of Ardmore in the south-central part of the state.
City councilors in Healdton have already voted to hire him, but as of Wednesday afternoon there were still a few minor contractual details to work out, according to Smitherman.
He said he could sign the contract as soon as this week, if the terms are agreed on and the contract is sent to him for his signature.
Healdton city leaders gave Smitherman the nod from among four applicants who were interviewed for the post.
“The other question is, once I sign the contract, I plan to vacate the city council by the second meeting in August,” said Smitherman. “I have to resign.”
Smitherman has held the post for about five months this time around. He won a four-year term of office to his former council seat during the March elections, defeating then-incumbent city councilor Sam Mason and fellow challenger Lamar Hoffman in a three-way race.
Smitherman’s resignation from the Ward 6 council seat would open the way for McAlester city councilors to pass an election resolution to fill the vacant city council seat.
One possibility is for city councilors to pass an election resolution to place an election to fill Smitherman’s seat during the Nov. 2 General Election.
“Hopefully, they can get it on the ballot,” Smitherman said.
Getting the measure on the Nov. 2 General Election ballot would be less expensive for the city than calling a stand-alone special election to fill the post.
Pittsburg County Assistant Election Board Secretary Tonya Barnes said that an election resolution must be received by the election board office at least 60 days prior to an election.
Therefore, the latest that an election resolution could be received and still be placed on the Nov. 2 ballot is Sept. 2. she noted.
Another option is holding a stand-alone special election even sooner.
In this case, city councilors are prohibited by the McAlester City Charter from appointing a successor to Smitherman, because of the length of time until the next election.
Smitherman said his son, attorney L. Don Smitherman, is representing him on working out details of the proposed contract naming him as Healdton city manager.
Louis Smitherman had previously served as the Ward 6 city manager for 11 years, serving during his first tenure until 2005, when Mason had defeated him in a recall election for the post.
When Smitherman won his former post back in March, he did it with more than 53.41 percent of the vote, compared to 30.12 percent for Mason and 16.47 percent for Hoffman.
This city’s been good to me,” Smitherman said. “They allowed me to come back in a professional way.”
That said, does Smitherman have any concerns about stepping down from the Ward 6 City Council seat so soon after voters re-elected him to another term to his former post?
“When I interviewed, I thought it sounded good,” Smitherman said of the job interview for Healdton city manager. “They know I come with some credentials.”
In addition to his two stints on the McAlester city council, Smitherman previously held the post of city manager at Spencer. He also had been a long-time member of the McAlester school board.
Taking the job represents an opportunity, said Smitherman.
“They need some economic development; they need some retail,” said Smitherman, who said he would work toward those goals. “It’s tough for small towns.”
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
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