LAKEPORT – The Lakeport City Council will discuss in a closed session Tuesday night how to fill City Manager Jerry Gillham”s shoes. Gillham, who has been with the city for just more than a year, will be deployed to Iraq for one year on Aug. 6, according to Lakeport Mayor Buzz Bruns.
Gillham”s commanding officer in the Oregon unit of the Army National Guard called him in mid-March to notify him that he might be deployed Aug. 27, 2009 for his second tour of duty. He was told he and his unit would be reconstructing Iraqi communities torn by war, the same work he did when he was deployed for 13 months in 2004.
“He”s going with a different division ? an aviation division,” Bruns said.
Bruns said he found out Monday that the deployment date had changed.
“He just had back surgery, and I had hoped that would have prevented him from going. But apparently, the Army wanted him anyway,” Bruns said.
As the city attempts to close a $1.5-million deficit it discovered last summer after not balancing its budget for the previous two years, Bruns said Gillham”s departure is both good and bad for the city.
“Jerry leaving gives us $100,000 for the year to work with,” Bruns said. That might pay a police officer”s salary, among other options, according to Bruns.
“If we go in-house for an acting city manager, it will help balance the budget. So that”s the plan, if it works out,” Bruns said.
Bruns declined to say who is being considered for the temporary position, but said Gillham”s job will be waiting for him when he comes back.
“Jerry has done such a good job for the city. He”s a great organizer, we have a budget program we never had before and we”re completely abreast of what”s going on,” Bruns said.
Gillham is expected to stay on at his current post until early August and will train whomever the city council appoints in his absence.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
