Yukon council appoints Jeff Deckard as acting city manager, sets pay and terms
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Summary
The Yukon City Council appointed Jeff Deckard as acting city manager designee with a monthly base salary of $11,700 plus a $3,300 stipend, subject to a background check and month-to-month terms; council also directed a temporary reassignment of a staff member to avoid direct reporting to the designee.
The Yukon City Council voted to appoint Jeff Deckard as acting city manager designee effective immediately, subject to completion of a background check and a probationary period. The council set a base monthly salary of $11,700 and an additional monthly stipend of $3,300 for the position and established month-to-month employment with either party required to give two months' notice to terminate.
The appointment follows an executive session held under Oklahoma law to consider the interim appointment. The motion also directed that Dana Decker be temporarily reassigned to a position that does not report directly to the acting city manager designee and is not in the same division for the duration of Deckard’s interim service.
The council debated the move before voting. One council member, speaking during discussion, warned the council was “overlooking 2 people who are currently sitting in that office, assistant city manager and an assistant to the city manager,” and said those employees “have been there in that job, know that job.” The speaker added, “we may watch a city manager do his job...but that doesn't mean you know the job.” The statement was attributed during the meeting to a council member who asked that remarks be understood as not personal toward Deckard.
The council recorded a roll call on the appointment. The vote, as read aloud at the meeting, recorded Yes votes from Shriver, Zimmerman, Gilmore and Wooten and a No from Selby. No other actions were taken in executive session and the council’s reading of minutes stated “only the items on the agenda were discussed. No action was taken, and no votes were cast” while in executive session.
The action includes these explicit terms as stated at the meeting: assumption of duties upon the final in-office day of the current city manager (expected in June 2025 but no later than July 2025); the stated compensation package; month-to-month appointment with two months' notice to terminate; and the temporary reassignment of Dana Decker to avoid direct reporting to the acting city manager designee.
Councilmembers discussed whether the city should consider internal options or follow the motion as presented; the motion carried by the roll-call votes reported during the meeting.
The council did not at this meeting adopt any additional, written personnel policy changes tied to the appointment; it also instructed that the usual background-check procedures be completed before the designee fully assumes the role.
The council's item summary and the recorded motion form the official action taken; additional personnel or policy changes would require separate council action.
