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Mesquite council appoints Rebecca Lynn Shroop as city manager after contract change
Summary
After lengthy council debate about a contract clause limiting removal votes following elections, the Mesquite City Council approved the appointment of Rebecca Lynn Shroop as city manager, adding a carve‑out permitting termination for cause.
The Mesquite City Council voted to appoint Rebecca Lynn Shroop as the city’s next city manager after amending her employment terms to preserve the council’s ability to remove the manager for cause. Mayor (presiding) put forward Shroop as the hiring committee’s top candidate after screening more than 50 applicants.
Mayor (presiding) said Shroop "has showed toughness, intelligence" and described her as someone who could "grow with our city" and work with department heads, while urging the council to support the hire. Several council members praised her demeanor but raised concerns about a contract clause that would bar any vote to remove the manager for six months following the election of a new mayor or council members. Councilman Parrish said the clause, as written, "would not have allowed us to fire" a prior manager and argued it conflicted with council oversight.
Council discussion focused on preserving the mayor’s choice while maintaining council oversight. Multiple members proposed and supported adding language that exempts "for cause" terminations from the six‑month limitation so that misconduct or other grounds for immediate removal remain actionable. After the amendment adding an "unless for cause" exception, the council voted to approve Shroop’s appointment.
Council members who had reservations about Shroop’s prior municipal scale acknowledged she had experience in smaller jurisdictions but said experience can scale; others noted prior short tenures in past city manager hires underscored the need for stability. The council did not adopt any additional procedural limits; the appointment included the negotiated amendment to the draft employment agreement.
Shroop’s appointment is effective following the council’s vote; the council directed staff to finalize the employment agreement incorporating the "for cause" carve‑out. The action concludes the city’s multi‑month recruitment and selection process and hands city management responsibilities to the new manager under the revised contractual terms.
