Breckenridge City Commission splits vote to hire new city manager
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
The Breckenridge City Commission met in a special meeting Tuesday evening, Aug. 9, and voted 3-1 to hire Cynthia Northrop of Rhome, Texas, as the new City Manager. Mayor Pro Tem Rob Durham and commissioners Vince Moore and Gary Mercer voted in favor of hiring Northrop; Mayor Bob Sims voted against hiring her.
Although he had been in attendance at the beginning of the meeting, Commissioner Greg Akers was not at the meeting when the vote was taken after the commissioners had spent about an hour and a half in a closed-door executive session. No explanation for Akers’ leaving was provided by the commissioners or the City staff in attendance.
The city manager position has been open since Ericka McComis resigned in June after less than 11 months on the job. After receiving more than 20 applications, the commissioners conducted interviews and/or discussed the candidates in executive sessions at a couple of meetings and made the final decision tonight. There was no public discussion about the position or the candidates.
Moore made the motion to hire Northrop and instruct interim city manager Steve Norwood to work with the city attorney to finalize the employment agreement.
According to an article in the Wise County Messenger, Northrop had been the Rhome City Administrator until she stepped down from the position on Aug. 4.
Northrop was not at the meeting, and very little information about her was provided tonight. The Breckenridge Texan will have a more complete story when more information is available.
Cutline, top photo: City Commissioner Vince Moore, second from left, makes a motion to hire former Rhome City Administrator Cynthia Northrop as the new Breckenridge City Manager. Commissioners Gary Mercer, left, and Rob Durham, right, voted in favor of hiring Northrop, and Mayor Bob Sims voted against the motion. Commissioner Greg Akers left the meeting before the vote. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 9:12 a.m. Aug. 15, 2022, to include updated information about Cynthia Northrop’s employment status with the City of Rhome.
