City Manager Headlines | 4-16-2024
MI: Township manager and recruiter Frank Walsh admits using city resources to carryout his business
A local news station is doing a deep-dive into the business activities of the Meridian Township manager that seems to have been initiated by staff.
For his part, Walsh maintains that he has not shorted the township working an average of 46 hours per week and that his usage of taxpayer resources is incidental and inconsequential. Staff suggest around 20 percent of his work day is allocated to his recruitment business.
A cautionary tale for those city managers with side hustles…
CA: San Bernardino council refers city manager candidate’s claims to prosecutors
Former Salinas city manager Steve Carrigan believes some member(s) of the council leaked his candidacy which resulted in him being fired.
San Bernardino leaders want prosecutors to look into who leaked confidential information about last year’s search for a new city manager.
The City Council referred the matter to the San Bernardino County district attorney and the civil grand jury after a former city manager candidate filed a claim alleging city officials had interfered with his former employer and cost him his job.
TX: Texas should ban city manager severance payouts, Dallas mayor says
Maybe while they are at it — they can prohibit the granting of guaranteed contracts to college football coaches. And then they can pass a law requiring elected officials to resign from their current seat if they decide to seek higher office.
OH: Grafton Village administrator: suspension ‘needless and wrongful’
Administrator Joe Price fires back to protect his name saying that his suspension was retaliatory and politically motivated after he called out the newly elected mayor for attempting to seize control fo the email system.
“The mayor stated that he had seized control of the email system because he did not want anyone to have the ability to read his emails,” Price said. “This action is alarming and is offensive to the very concept of transparency that is ensured by the Sunshine Laws and Ohio’s Public Records Act.”
OH: Bellville Village Council votes to dismiss administrator over relationship with mayor
Bellville Village Council voted Sunday to dismiss Administrator Larry Weirich after outside legal counsel ruled Weirich’s romantic relationship with Mayor Teri Brenkus was a “clear conflict of interest.”
TN: Millersville interim city manager resigns days after report raised suspicion over her sudden hiring
Millersville interim city manager Tina Tobin turned in her letter of resignation Sunday evening, two days after a NewsChannel 5 Investigates report on suspicions over her sudden hiring.
Tobin told commissioners in her letter that recovery from a recent eye surgery on April 11, is taking much longer than expected.
Yah sure — you betcha.
AL: Destin doesn’t hire Cowper, but Dothan could fire him
Learn a lesson from this city manager’s mistake. His contract expires on April 30th — but the council hasn’t voted one or the other.
You gotta make sure you force the council to opt-in or out on your contract at least 90 days before it expires and preferably 180 days so you have time to start looking for a new gig.
PA: Four Montgomery County municipalities join state study of shared fire services
Lower and Upper Gwynedd townships and Ambler and North Wales boroughs are all in the process of seeking a joint study to look into reimagining fire coverage for a combined area.
“We are committed to exploring innovative approaches that will allow us to better serve our residents while maximizing the utilization of available resources,” said Eric Geiger, chief of the Upper Gwynedd Fire Company, in a joint statement from the four municipalities.
TX: Brazoria to only interview internal candidates for city manager vacancy
“We basically feel like we have some good in-house candidates, so we didn’t open it up,” Mayor Philip Ray said. “We’ll make a decision in a couple weeks and announce it then.”
Council will interview in closed session three current city staffers — City Secretary Clissa Mills, Public Works Director John Trevino and Project Manager David Kocurek.
MO: Kansas City Manager Brian Platt pushes back against petition to rescind his new contract extension
Platt told KCUR that he believes there is “always work to be done” on racial equity. But, citing the city’s diverse leadership and the hiring of its first chief equity officer, he said doesn’t believe he has created additional issues.
“I think the (Kansas City Council) vote that I had for my contract extension is a good reflection of this: 11 to 1,” Platt said.
“So, there is not a racial divide or an issue that you’re seeing, and if there was, I think the council would make it very clear publicly to me and to everybody.”
