Chickasha City Manager Jim Crosby, 85, Resigns Days After 60-Year Service Honor

Chickasha’s top administrator is stepping down, and the timing is hard to ignore. Jim Crosby, 85, submitted his resignation at a special City Council meeting Thursday night, effective December 31 or whenever he deems necessary. The council voted 6-0 to accept it after a 30-minute executive session, with three councilors absent. The move came just three days after city officials honored Crosby for six decades in municipal government, a milestone the International City/County Management Association had never before recognized at the 60-year mark.

Crosby’s career has wound through Oklahoma City, Norman, Yukon and Piedmont before he landed in Chickasha as public works director in 2022. He was promoted to city manager on November 4, 2024, and Mayor Zach Grayson said the council knew the day would eventually arrive.“Jim has been an excellent city manager,”Grayson said, noting that even two years of Crosby’s service was one of the best decisions the city had made.

The question now is who takes the chair. A proposal to elevate Assistant City Manager Rich Edwards drew no action Thursday, and the next regular council meeting is set for November 16. With Crosby’s resignation effective at year’s end or sooner, Chickasha’s leadership picture will likely come into focus at that meeting. What qualities do you think Chickasha should prioritize in its next city manager?