Bandera City Council took swift action at its regularly scheduled meeting last Tuesday to unanimously appoint City Secretary Jill Dickerson to the interim position of City Administrator.
She will work as a dual city-secretary and city-administrator during the interim period.
Dickerson, who has worked under eight different city administrators in the nine-year span she served as City Secretary, says she feels well-versed for the position. The Bandera City Council shares Dickerson’s confidence.
“I would not have offered Jill as an option if I did not believe that she was a strong candidate,” Mayor Denise Griffin said. “She is the one who was training the others hired as the admin in the past four to five years. So, yes, I believe that Jill is very capable of holding the position permanently.”
The position, which came with a 20% increase to Dickerson’s salary, is under a six-month interim trial to see how she performs.
Councilmember Tony Battle expressed his enthusiasm for Dickerson’s appointment, stating the city has seen far too much turnover in the city administrator position.
“We are committed to bringing tenure with our staff,” Battle said. “Jill has been a valued employee for almost ten years. As city secretary, she has worked in lock step with several different administrators and during that time working on her certifications for city administration.”
Dickerson began working toward her Certified Public Manager certification through Texas State University a few years ago.
The program consists of seven semesters, and Dickerson plans to finish the final three courses this year if her schedule allows. Her hope is that she can bring stability to a role that has caused some frustration for the city.
“I saw firsthand how frequent turnover in the city administrator role negatively impacted staff and created instability across departments,” Dickerson said. “Given my experience, knowledge of the duties, and desire to provide continuity and stability, I felt it was in the best interest of the city and our staff to apply for the position myself. I believed that stepping into the role officially would help ensure long-term consistency and leadership for our organization.”
In addition to working on her CPM program certification, Dickerson is enrolled in the Texas Municipal League, The Texas City Management Institute. The program will begin in September and end in March, upon which she will receive another professional certification.
Regarding current plans as interim city administrator, Dickerson is prioritizing projects, including the relocation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“This is critical infrastructure and moving it will help ensure the city is better equipped to meet current and future needs,” Dickerson said.
She also plans to move forward with the flood infrastructure grant, which is in the final stages and should conduct construction soon – its key focus to protect the community from future flood risks.
With that, Dickerson noted that the city is in partnership with Bandera County to implement a mor effective weather alert system to better inform and protect the community during severe weather events.
On her immediate sightline are plans to review operations, address any unresolved items, and carefully go through anything that may have been overlooked by previous administrators. On a personal note, Dickerson stated how proud she is to have called Bandera her home for years.
“My family purchased property here in 2004, and I built my home in 2014,” Dickerson said, adding that before her move to Bandera, she lived in the Pipe Creek area for 8 years. “I’m married to a hardworking, kind, and wonderful man, Jerry Dickerson. I have a 32-year-old daughter and was blessed to adopt my son when he was just two—he’s now 11 and has spent all his school years in Bandera ISD. I also have a very blended and loving extended family, with several other kids who are part of our lives. Rounding out the household is Francie, our 10-year-old German Shepherd, who has been a loyal and beloved part of the family for a decade.”
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