Former state auditor appointed permanent Altus city manager

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  • Gary Jones
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ALTUS – After six months as acting city manager here, Gary Jones is now the full- time manager of the city of Altus.

The City Council voted March 3 to make the appointment permanent. Jones was appointed acting city manager last September, in a split vote, after former City Manager Janice Cain resigned. But the vote on Jones’s permanent appointment was unanimous, 9-0. “I’m pleased with the council’s vote,” he said Friday. “This allows us to move forward with long-range plans to address concerns and work together to build a better Altus.” Having been the state auditor and inspector for eight years (2011-18) gives Jones plenty of practical experience as Altus’s city manager. “I’ve looked at enough cities that I can certainly tell you what not to do,” he quipped during an interview with the Southwest Ledger.

“I understand what my role as interim city manager is,” he said last October. “I work with the city council to address major concerns of the city. I have a history of identifying problems, coming up with solutions and getting them implemented.” Major issues that merit attention, Jones said, include the town’s water infrastructure and its 140 miles of wastewater collection lines, electric rates, hiring and retaining police officers, economic development, and housing needs.

Another topic of discussion is a developer’s interest in buying and renovating the former Central Fire Station. The city built a new fire station about a year ago. The city of Altus has about 200 full-time employees and 20 to 40 part-timers “depending on the season,” Jones said. Jones, 65, is the fifth city manager Altus has had in five years and reportedly is the 11th in 14 years. “There’s a reason city managers don’t unpack their suitcase,” he said. “They’re always one vote away from looking for their next job.”  After Jones called him to discuss the opening in the city manager’s job, Altus Mayor Jack Smiley proposed Jones to the city council as interim city manager, and Jones was appointed acting manager.

“Gary sees a situation, looks at the data and makes a decision,” Smiley said. “He has great vision.” Jones, a former Comanche County Commissioner, has a 50-minute drive to and from work each weekday from his home nine miles southwest of Cache. He’s close enough that he can attend his grandchildren’s school events or respond to any emergency that might arise at his farm. The daily commute to Altus gives him plenty of time to think about what needs to be addressed at the office “My goal in public service has always been to leave things better than how I found them,” Jones said.