Council keeps it local in selecting OKC city manager

AFTER receiving applications from 52 people, the Oklahoma City Council took a “Why mess with success?” approach in hiring a new city manager, and went with a familiar face.

Craig Freeman, a city employee for 26 years, will succeed Jim Couch on Jan. 2. Couch announced his retirement in September after 18 years as the city's CEO.

Freeman is 53, which means he has spent nearly half his life working for Oklahoma City. That experience should prove invaluable in his new position.

Freeman joined the city in 1992 as a management and budget analyst. He later served 10 years as budget director, and since 2011 has been the city's finance director, leading a staff of 85 in areas of budget development, debt and risk management, and accounting services.

As finance director, Freeman had a hand in the deals to build a convention center hotel and complete the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum. Those will be completed in the coming years, as will other major projects such as the downtown park and the convention center, both pieces of the MAPS 3 sales tax approved by voters in 2009.

Freeman says focal points of his first year as city manager will include following through on MAPS 3 and completing street repair projects.

He's following a man, in Couch, who guided a transformative time for the city, which has seen its population and jobs grow throughout his tenure. In addition to helping guide the various MAPS iterations, Couch played a central role in bringing the NBA to Oklahoma City 13 years ago. He also secured rights to water from Canton and Sardis lakes, and helped negotiate a historic agreement with the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes that is designed to secure “generational water” for the city.

Yet when he announced his retirement, Couch held up development of city staff as among the accomplishments he valued most, and said the city council could find his successor by looking in-house. “We've got quality people in a lot of different areas,” he said.

The list of those granted an interview included at least five internal candidates. Freeman emerged as the council's choice. Council member Larry McAtee cited as Freeman's strengths his skill, character and ability to work with others. Mayor David Holt provided a similar critique.

Freeman, meantime, saluted Couch for investing in those around him.

“I believe it's what really holds us together right now,” Freeman said. “This is the team that was here, that brought us to this place.”

“People that are good leaders, grow leaders,” he said.

It falls to Freeman to continue where Couch left off. We congratulate him on his selection and wish him well as he assumes the city's most important job.