Jennifer Hawkins, who currently works for the city of Oak Point, accepted an offer for the position earlier this week.
The hiring takes place less than two months after Mayor Mark Lorance suggested that Rhome needs a city administrator to supervise city staff members and manage personnel problems. Members of the council have argued extensively with one another since January about the ways city personnel have hired city employees.
According to Hawkins' resume, Oak Point has employed her since 2005 as its finance director, human resources director and as an assistant to the city manager. Hawkins has a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in emergency administration and planning, both from the University of North Texas.
The council is still interviewing candidates to replace former Police Chief Rick Roebuck.
Roebuck resigned his position earlier this year after council member Brandon Davis accused him of getting the job without the proper law enforcement credentials. Davis also said Roebuck had not performed proper background checks on police officers before hiring them and didn't act quickly enough to discipline a police officer accused of misconduct.
The council also quarreled about whether Lorance showed favoritism to his mother-in-law when he allowed city staff to hire her for a job at city hall last year.
Lorance's mother-in-law, who lived with Lorance and his wife until recently, left her job at city hall earlier this year after council members began asking questions about her. Davis said Lorance might have left the city vulnerable to a lawsuit because of appearances involving his mother-in-law and the firing of another city employee.
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