ALTUS – City Manager Gary Jones will continue in his job for another year after the city council voted to renew his contract with a $12,000 a year salary increase.
With the salary hike, Jones will now earn $144,000 a year plus benefits. He was hired in September 2019 after spending eight years as Oklahoma’s state auditor and inspector where he was paid $114,713 annually.
Altus City Council met in executive session in March to discuss Jones’ performance and a potential salary increase. The vote to renew his contract and increase his pay was taken in open session.
During an interview about the council’s decision to give him a raise, Jones joked “My wife told me not to get greedy.”
With Jones as city manager, Altus has restructured its tax base by increasing the city sales tax, which was one of the lowest in Oklahoma at the time.
“We were relying too much on our electrical rates,” he said. “We can fund more with sales tax with the burden falling on anyone who comes to town and makes a purchase.”
In August 2020, Altus voters approved a permanent sales tax increase that went into effect April 1, 2021. However, the council also voted to decrease the city’s electrical rates at the same time.
City officials have also embarked on a plan to end Altus’ housing shortage, improve quality of life programs, make improvements to the city’s Expo Center and repair water and sewer lines.
“We are addressing problems of the last 25, 30 years,” Jones said.
A developer and builder already has contracted with the city to build 56 single-story townhouses with another 56 rental units in the planning stage.
“We are looking down the road at single-family homes later on,” Jones said.
As part of the city’s redevelopment plan, officials want to build a sports complex that would potentially be funded by a state loan program. That project, Jones said, won’t start for about two years as plans are developed and funding is secured.
As of Ledger press time, Mayor Jack Smiley could not be reached for comment on the council’s decision to renew Jones’ contract.
Jones was initially hired on an interim basis after then-City Manager Janice Cain resigned. Months later, the council voted 9-0 to hire Jones permanently. Jones told Southwest Ledger at the time that he was “pleased with the council’s vote. This allows us to move forward with long-range plans to address concerns and work together to build a better Altus.