The Oshkosh City Council on Dec. 23 approved Resolution 24 6 8 7 to appoint Rebecca as the city’s new manager and to adopt her employment agreement, carrying the measure on a 5‑1 roll‑call vote.

Council members Larson, Bulow, Stevenson, Nichols and Mugebauer voted in favor; Council Member Eslinger voted no. The council moved to consider the resolution after a brief special meeting called by the mayor.

Council Member Eslinger praised the recruitment process and said the council had identified a strong candidate, but he objected to two provisions in the agreement. “I just cannot support spending taxpayer dollars on someone that would want to live outside of the city,” he said, and he moved to strike the clause that would reimburse 50% of relocation costs if the city manager resides outside Oshkosh. He also moved to strike a separate provision that would contribute $10,000 after taxes toward the purchase of a home inside the city as an incentive. Both motions failed for lack of a second.

Council Member Nichols sought to clarify whether the proposed relocation terms were standard city practice. Staff answered that the proposed terms align with the city’s general employee relocation policy—100% reimbursement if the employee resides in the city, 50% if outside—and reiterated that the council cannot require the city manager to live within city limits. A council member (speaker) cautioned that the limitation on requiring residency is a matter of authority, not necessarily tied to a specific named statute.

Mayor (unnamed) summarized the recruitment and selection process, saying the city launched a nationwide search in mid‑August, used community panels and staff interviews, and narrowed the pool to a candidate the council favored. “Rebecca quickly rose to the top,” the mayor said when describing the council’s deliberations.

Assistant/Interim City Manager Fitzpatrick told the council staff were eager to work with the incoming manager and asked if Rebecca would like to speak. Rebecca thanked the council and community members who participated in the search and said she was “coming to a great community” and looked forward to collaborative work.

The meeting concluded with the formal roll‑call vote approving the employment agreement and appointing Rebecca as city manager. The council adjourned immediately afterward.