By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
After starting the process to hire a new city administrator last
December, the Great Bend City Council approved the hiring of Brandon Anderson Monday
night to fill the open position. Anderson has worked in Texas the last
27 years, and the past year as the city manager for the City of Levelland,
Texas.
"One of the really encouraging things I heard in my first visit here was how all of our taxing entities seem to be heading in a good direction and together," said Anderson. "I hope that is a really good, important task to keep in mind as we move forward."
Anderson received a degree from Kansas State University in 1995 and has served
as a city manager or administrator for the past 17 years. Anderson will be kept
in the loop with Great Bend administrative happenings starting immediately but
will not officially begin his role in Great Bend until July 1.
"I'm here to serve, just like all of our staff is," said Anderson. "We're accountable to the citizens of this community. I look forward to doing that."
Kendal Francis was appointed Great Bend City Administrator in July 2018, but
resigned in early January to accept a similar position in Hutchinson. Assistant
City Administrator Logan Burns has served as interim administrator since last
December.
Strategic Government Resources (SGR) was hired for $18,500 to handle the search
for the next administrator and eventually helped narrow down the 25
applications.
"I've always had a saying in life that there are two kinds of people in life...people that are part of the problem and people that are part of the solution," said Anderson. "It's not easy a lot of times to be a part of the solution, but we all must be."