Lindsay hires Mitchell as city manager

Rep. Bill Mitchell will close out a productive 20-year career as a state lawmaker Wednesday when he resigns from the Legislature. In fact, Mitchell will quit two jobs that day, when he turns off the lights and locks the door to his barber shop in Lindsay for the final time after 48 years.

The 69-year-old legislator/barber isn't destined for a rocking chair, though, even after nearly three decades of public service. Mitchell will become the new city manager at Lindsay Thursday morning; previously he served eight years on the Lindsay City Council, two of those years as Mayor.

“I pretty well know the process,” he quipped Monday. Because of constitutional term limits, Mitchell was scheduled to retire from the House of Representatives in mid-November. However, he is leaving four and a half months early -- his resignation letter to House Speaker Larry E. Adair is effective at the close of business Wednesday -- because, “It's an opportunity I can't turn down.”

The Legislature concluded its four-month regular session on May 28. The only unfinished business on the legislative agenda is an investigation of the State Insurance Commissioner to determine whether the House will prefer articles of impeachment to the Senate. Mitchell's House District 42 seat will be filled in the Nov. 2 general election. The Lindsay Democrat was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1984 and served 10 consecutive two-year terms; he was opposed for re-election only three times. “My biggest thrill,” he recalled, “was working in the health care arena and carrying the bill several years ago that expanded health insurance coverage for needy women and children.” Another memorable accomplishment was his role in the reopening of the hospital in Lindsay, he said.

For the past two years Mitchell was chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and Budget. Before that he was chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services for six years, and was vice chairman of the subcommittee for two years prior to that.

He chaired the House Committee on Tourism and Recreation for six years, 1991-96, and was chairman of the House Committee on Wildlife for four years, 1987-90. Mitchell was born in Alex, in Grady County. He was reared on a farm at Blanchard during World War II and attended grade school at Ireton, which was situated between Alex and Lindsay.

He attended junior high school at Bradley, near Alex, and was recruited to play basketball at Dibble High School, where he was graduated in 1952.

While at Dibble he met Wynella Faye Smith, a native of Criner, north of Lindsay, and they were married in March 1953.

For three years they lived in Oklahoma City, where Mitchell worked as a welder for Robberson Steel Co. Next, Mitchell decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and attended a barber college in downtown Oklahoma City. “My dad was a barber at Blanchard and Lindsay,” he related. Bill and Wynella Faye moved to Lindsay in 1956 and Mitchell opened his own barber shop. He had a partner for awhile but has worked alone for 28 years, he said. His resume of public service also includes six years in the U.S. Army Reserve, 1957-63.

Mitchell has already met several times with Lindsay municipal leaders, “going over a few things.” For example, he said the Garvin County town of about 2,900 residents has some problems with its storm drainage system. Nevertheless, Lindsay has “dedicated city employees” who are equal to the task of solving the problems “and I welcome the challenges that lie ahead.”

Source: Chickasha Express-Star