Guymon seeks drivers and animal control officer to fill key roles

Guymon is trying to keep three basic services staffed at once: a Ride bus driver, an animal control officer and a sanitation relief driver, vacancies that could ripple into transportation access, stray-animal response and daily collections if they stay open.

The city’s transit system, The Ride, is one of the clearest examples of what is at stake. Guymon Transit has eight 15-passenger buses and one minivan, all ADA accessible, and curbside rides are arranged by phone within the city limits. Fares are $2 per ride, or $1 for children 5 and under and seniors 60 and older. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says the service has provided demand-response public transportation to the City of Guymon since 1999, making the driver opening more than a routine hire. It is part of the network that helps residents get to work, medical appointments and errands when private transportation is not available.

The animal control opening carries its own immediate public-safety and public-health stakes. The city says all animal-related complaints within Guymon are handled by the Animal Control Department. Officers care for animals housed at the shelter, enforce ordinances involving domestic and wild animals, work with rescue groups and humane societies, and coordinate pet adoptions. In practice, that means a shortage can slow responses to stray animals, nuisance complaints and ordinance enforcement in neighborhoods across the city.

Sanitation relief drivers are less visible but no less essential. The city links the job to the operations that keep trash, water, sewer and gas service moving when regular crews are short or schedules change. In a city where one missed route can be noticed quickly, relief staffing can determine whether collections stay on schedule and whether the system has enough flexibility to absorb absences, vacations or unexpected absences.

The hiring push comes as Guymon continues to carry the load for Texas County. Guymon is the county seat, Texas County had a 2020 census population of 21,384, and Guymon had 12,965 residents. Census figures show 61.3% of Guymon residents are Hispanic or Latino, and 49.2% of residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, numbers that make reliable local services especially important.

The city posted the openings around April 17 and says it is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants can download forms or stop by City Hall at 424 N Main St. The message behind the posting is straightforward: these jobs are what keep a small city functioning when residents need a bus, an animal complaint answered or a collection route completed.