BIXBY, Okla. — Bixby Police Chief Todd Blish now has a second role as acting city manager following the arrest and suspension of City Manager Joey Wiedel on aggravated DUI charges.
"I felt out of loyalty that when they asked me to step up and do this, I would do it. We'll handle any adversity that comes along, and try to keep the business of the city continuing," Blish said.
Wiedel was arrested on May 25 and remains suspended with no timeline for a permanent decision on his position.
"We don't know what temporary is. It depends on a lot of things," Blish said.
In his expanded role, Blish is now responsible for meetings with department heads and developers, signing paychecks, and more, all while continuing to lead the Bixby Police Department. He said his officers have helped ease the added burden.
"They have stepped up in the last week in an amazing way to resolve any problems that come up that'll lighten the burden on me," Blish said.
"I know this is temporary, but I'm going to do whatever I can to ensure that the city of Bixby continues moving forward," Blish said.
Wiedel's arrest also triggered another leadership change. Mayor Brad Girard, who had served as mayor for the last year and a half and on the city council for eight years, resigned from both positions. He announced his resignation in a Facebook post on May 29.
"I didn't want to be a distraction. I wanted our council to come together as a group and keep doing the next best thing for Bixby. Because I think it's important to remember Bixby is bigger than any one person," Girard said.
In his Facebook post, Girard mentioned a big reason for stepping down was what he called a feeling of wanting to handle the situation better.
"There's just so many things to consider, and it always looks different when you're looking into the fire versus when you're in it. And you know, looking back, start to finish, there's many things I would do differently," Girard said.
Despite the turbulence, Girard expressed confidence in Bixby's future.
"Brad's doing fine. Bixby's doing awesome. Uh, the sky's not falling. If anything, for Bixby, the sky is the limit," Girard said.
Vice Mayor Bobby Shultz is now serving as acting mayor. City Council will vote on a permanent mayor at its next meeting on June 8.
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