September 25, 2019 739 PM
MARFA – Marfa City Council announced the resignation of Co-Interim City Manager Peggy O’Brien during a Monday evening budget meeting in the Casner Room. O’Brien first hired as assistant to the city manager when the position was created during last year’s budget and worked in that capacity until City Manager Terry Brechtel’s resignation this June, then assuming the co-interim role with Dan Dunlap.
Council revealed the departure when they began discussing salaries in the 2019-2020 budget, noting they could adjust the salary for the assistant to the city manager position going forward, as O’Brien leaves the role October 29.
The position currently oversees recycling, code enforcement, facilities, various projects and the city website. O’Brien has also operated as a building official and administers grants, applying for funds and managing the grant once received. Councilmember Yoseff Ben-Yehuda noted that the role particularly suited O’Brien and might be difficult to hire for going forward. Mayor Manny Baeza considered restructuring the position out of existence and redistributing the responsibilities among other roles.
Ben-Yehuda, after speaking with Library Director Mandy Roane, emphasized an impending need for someone with the skills to seek out future grants and administer them, particularly if the city chooses to expand its offerings at the Marfa Activity Center.
Ultimately, council chose to wait for the arrival of a new city manager before making any restructuring decisions, leaving a vacant position in the budget for a future assistant to the city manager.
Both O’Brien and Mayor Baeza declined to comment for this story.
