Gun Barrel City council accepts city manager’s resignation; authorizes interim contract and posts job

The Gun Barrel City Council voted unanimously to accept the resignation of City Manager Dr. Smith, effective July 1, 2026, and approved steps to arrange interim leadership and begin a national search.

Council moved into executive session to discuss the position under Texas Local Government Code section 551.074 (personnel) and then reconvened in open session to take action. A motion to accept Dr. Smith’s resignation carried on a recorded roll call; council members recorded as voting yes included Burns, Jacobs, Lander, Crap and Edwards.

Dr. Smith addressed the council and said she was stepping down to be closer to family, noting in her remarks that she had served the city for “the past two years and nine months” and that a new grandchild was due next week. “Under your guidance, Gun Barrel City has improved its management stability and fiscal stewardship,” she said, adding that the city and the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) were in stronger financial positions than in 2023.

After accepting the resignation, council unanimously authorized the city manager to work with Strategic Government Resources to contract for an interim city manager until a permanent hire is made. Council then moved to allow the city treasurer to post the vacancy on relevant job sites; that motion also passed unanimously.

Council members and staff did not announce a search timeline on the record; motions instructed staff to proceed with contracting for an interim manager and to post the vacancy so applications can be accepted. The meeting minutes and motions cited Texas Local Government Code section 551.074 as the legal basis for executive-session discussion of personnel matters.

Next steps: staff will work with Strategic Government Resources on interim staffing and the treasurer will post the city manager job on relevant sites; council indicated no further votes on hiring were taken at the meeting.