Logo via City of Odessa
Odessa City Council named Republican Party of Texas Director John Beckmeyer as the finalist in their search for a new city manager.
The search concludes a process that began with the firing of former city manager Michael Marrero. Marrero’s termination followed a November election in Odessa which saw the balance of power shift on the council.
The firing of the city manager was met with controversy and legal challenges. The council initially voted to fire Marrero, along with the city attorney, during a December meeting. However, following a lawsuit by a local attorney, the council was forced to meet again in January for a redo. Both times, the council voted 5 to 2 to fire both employees.
Odessa Mayor Javier Joven stated a key reason for firing Marrero was the former city manager’s lack of communication, claiming that there were sometimes “not only weeks but months of no communication.”
Though the vote to fire Marrero was split, the vote to accept Beckmeyer as the finalist was unanimous. Though the council voted to accept Beckmeyer as the finalist, Beckmeyer won’t be officially hired until an employment contract is passed. The contract is currently being negotiated. Until then, Agapito Bernal is expected to remain as interim city manager.