Council likely to vote on new assistant city manager, hear update grocery store

The Killeen City Council will be discussing a multitude of topics during a pair of meetings Tuesday including the appointment of a new assistant city manager and an update on the Oasis Fresh Market grocery store.

There will be two meetings on Tuesday including a regular council meeting at 5 p.m., followed immediately by a workshop meeting.

Laurie Wilson, the prospective Killeen assistant city manager.
Courtesy photo: City of Killeen

Laurie Wilson — who previously worked for the city of Carrollton as an administrative services director — was chosen as the final candidate for the vacant Killeen assistant city manager position and will likely be approved at Tuesday’s meeting.

Wilson has 11 years of experience in government. She has worked in the city of Carrollton since 2012 and worked her way up to administrative services director as of 2017.

The population of Carrollton is 133,251, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2021. Killeen’s population is close to 160,000, according to a 2022 estimate.

The final tally of candidates was 88, according to the presentation. Ten candidates did a video interview and five took part in an in-person interview on Sept. 8.

City Manager Kent Cagle said in August the salary for an assistant city manager was budgeted at $195,000.

Wilson would be paid $185,000 if she is approved.

The city’s previous assistant city manager, Danielle Singh, was hired at $175,000 annually. She left the city in late May to take the city manager’s post in Jarrell, a fast-growing city between Belton and Georgetown along I-35.

Another topic for discussion will be the Oasis Fresh Market — a Tulsa-based grocery store that has been in talks with Killeen this year about opening a location in north Killeen, much of which is considered a food desert.

North Killeen has been clamoring for a new grocery ever since two major ones pulled out in 2019.

Ronnie Russell of the Innovation Black Chamber of Commerce has presented about Oasis in the past and is expected to do so again Tuesday.

In addition, at the workshop meeting, there are five citizen petitions being presented Tuesday on a number of subjects including criticism of city elected leaders and staff from Bill Paquette.

Towards the end of the workshop meeting, the council is expected to discuss “proposed changes to the architectural and site design standards ordinance” — an issue that has drawn fierce opposition from local developers and homebuilders.

The meetings will take place in the council chambers in City Hall, 101 N. College St., Killeen.

For those unable to attend the meeting in person, it will be web streamed live and archived for playback on the city’s website, KilleenTexas.gov. It will also be broadcast live on Spectrum Cable Channel 10.