COMMERCE - If there was any speculation that Commerce City Manager Marc Clayton was considering the open city manager’s position in his home town of Bonham, it was settled Wednesday.
Clayton told KETR that he’s comfortable with where he’s at.
“Obviously it’d be kind of a like a dream to be the manager in your home town when you didn’t have to drive anywhere,” Clayton said. “I’ve lived over there my whole life. I know a lot of people over there, which I think may work against me as far as favoritism and stuff that I may be asked to do by people I’ve known for a long time. And I’ve talked to a couple of people that have actually tried it and it’s very, very difficult.”
Clayton adds there’s some projects he’d like to see finished in Commerce, particularly a street project that just got underway and will span three years.
Since 2002, Clayton has made the roughly 1 hour, 15 minute commute each weekday to Commerce. He started out as the city’s director of administrative services. Clayton has served as interim city manager twice and was appointed to the position full time in 2011.
“I couldn’t be the city manager until they changed the charter.”
In May 2010, voters approved multiple amendments to the city charter, one of which allowed the city manager to live outside the city limits.
Clayton added, “Like I said, yeah I could drive from my house to [Bonham] city hall and go to work every day but sometimes there are other things you have to weigh in on a decision like that. A person moving into a town and becoming city manager; they become part of the city and they meet people and everything. I’ve lived over there 62 years and I know just about everybody and I just think it would put me and some other folks in an awkward position maybe.”
Bonham is looking to the fill the vacancy left by Corby Alexander, who has accepted the same position in La Porte, Texas. KXII-TV reported Tuesday that 34 resumes had been received. The deadline to submit an application is Friday. The Bonham City Council will begin to narrow the field of candidates next week.
A lot of vacancies at significant leadership positions have emerged in Commerce as of late.
Council has accepted the resignation of Fire Chief Brian McNevin, who is in contract negotiations with another Texas city.
At the Commerce ISD, two principals have recently left their posts.
Deanna Hays has been appointed principal at A.C. Williams Elementary School after the resignation of Wes Underwood, who has become director of social studies curriculum at Greenville High School.
And Commerce High School Principal Virdie Montgomery has been hired by the Wylie High School as its new principal. CISD is currently considering candidates for the vacancy.