Yukon council approves Jeffrey Deckard as city manager with $40,000 relocation stipend

The Yukon City Council voted Sept. 9 to approve an employment agreement appointing Jeffrey Deckard to serve as city manager, municipal authority manager and manager of the Yukon Economic Development Authority, including an annual salary of $202,000 and a $40,000 relocation stipend. Mayor Brian Hillmore introduced the item and explained the $40,000 payment was intended to cover closing and relocation costs required by the city charter, which the mayor said requires a city manager who does not live within city limits to move into the city. “Just if you just take a 6% realtor commission on a $350,000 home, you’re already talking about $21,000,” the mayor said in support of a flat stipend. Councilwoman Selby said she was “confused why we’re voting on this because while I was out of town, you guys voted on this already” and objected to the salary and stipend size, saying the appointee did not have prior experience as a city manager. Selby voted against the contract; other council members voted to approve it. Council debate included defense of Deckard’s local experience: the mayor said Deckard had multiple prior stints with the city beginning in 1988, including 16 years of service in earlier periods and time as interim city manager. The mayor said Deckard’s interim service had produced “significant cost savings to the city” and operational reorganization. Two separate motions were recorded: the Yukon Municipal Authority (YMA) approved the employment agreement (vote recorded in YMA as Selby: no; Shriver: yes; Zimmerman: yes; Gilmore: yes; Hillmore: yes). The City Council then approved the same employment agreement (vote recorded as Selby: no; Shriver: yes; Zimmerman: yes; Hillmore: yes). The motion passed and Deckard’s contract was adopted. Council members also discussed the timing of the vote; Selby said she had participated in candidate interviews but objected to not being present for prior council discussions. Mayor Hillmore apologized and said he regretted that Selby did not have an opportunity to weigh in earlier. No executive session or additional action on the manager contract was taken at the Sept. 9 meeting. The contract terms discussed on the record were limited to an annual salary of $202,000 and a $40,000 relocation stipend to move into city limits; council discussion noted the city previously recouped a relocation stipend from a prior manager when that person left before the contract term was met. No other contract details were read into the record at the meeting.