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Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Ekurhuleni city manager placed on special leave until retirement
Dr Imogen Mashazi. (Photo supplied) The In a letter addressed to Mashazi on Wednesday, mayor 'In accordance with the provisions of Section 55(1) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act No. 32 of 2000), which outlines the duties of the municipal manager in respect of implementing council resolutions, you are hereby requested to ensure that all requisite arrangements and preparatory actions are undertaken to enable an orderly and efficient transition during this period,' the letter read. Xhakaza added that any actions contrary to the council's resolution would be considered irregular, and he acknowledged Mashazi's continued dedication, cooperation, and commitment to the service of the city. Xhakaza's letter follows a council resolution instructing the city to begin the process of appointing a new city manager, because the council did not approve Mashazi's continued tenure. It is understood that Mashazi had requested to be compensated for the remaining two years of her contract, but this request was turned down by the council. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Economic Freedom Fighters ( 'Ordinarily, when you take leave or when you are about to leave a position, it should be voluntary so that [you are] not seen to be in the way of what people are trying to do,' Malema added. 'We are going to miss her, and I hope she won't distance herself too much. I hope she remains close and continues to offer advice, as she has a wealth of experience and wisdom.' When asked whether he was aware of the council's resolution to replace Mashazi, Malema responded that, to his knowledge, she had simply requested that her contract be allowed to run its full course, even though she had reached retirement age. 'There is no such council resolution [to extend her contract], so in the absence of one, they are unable to extend it,' he said. In another letter dated 4 June, which the Mail & Guardian has seen, the council confirmed that it had approved the commencement of the recruitment process for a new city manager on a five-year fixed term. The council also approved the composition of the interview panel for the position. It will include Xhakaza, EFF provincial chair Dunga said the position still had to be advertised and would be followed by a screening process. Dunga said Mashazi was correctly given a five-year contract, in line with obligations under the Municipal Structures and Systems Acts. 'We obviously foresaw that she would either carry out the full five years or retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age. This is more of a transitional period than anything else,' Dunga said. 'We did consider a waiver that would have needed to be submitted to the minister. But be that as it may, such approval is beyond our sphere of influence. We have to focus on the matters at hand, and at this point, there is no waiver. 'There is no indication of a waiver, and administration must continue beyond one individual, even someone as dedicated as Dr Mashazi, who has served the City of Ekurhuleni for 36 years.'
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Stockton city manager hired advisor without council's knowledge or approval
STOCKTON — Public documents show that Stockton Interim City Manager Steve Colangelo is authorizing $11,000 a month of city funds for an advisor. The advisor is Lathrop City Manager Stephen Salvatore. Stockton's District 3 representative, Michael Blower, the longest tenured city councilmember, says this news came as a shock. "It does seem strange that you would hire someone for $20,000 a month, and then they would hire someone to help them do that job, at $11,000 a month," he said. First reported by Stocktonia, public records show that just 10 days after being hired by the Stockton City Council, Colangelo hired Salvatore in an advisory role for up to six months. Documents show that so far, the city has paid Salvatore $22,000 for two months. The cost of having Salvatore in this agreement, however, could not exceed past $100,000 or it would have to go before the council. "To find out about it through the media a few days ago, yeah, it was a surprise," Blower said. "I think it's very important that we take our time and we make sure we put the right person into that particular position," Blower said during a February 4 meeting when the council was considering hiring Colangelo. The council voted 4-3 to hire Colangelo as interim city manager, a split vote where Blower says the council should've looked at things more closely. "The form of government that we have is, we're not a strong mayor setup. We're a strong city manager, so we really need a city manager with experience and background to run a large city," he said. We tried to reach out to Colangelo as well as Salvatore. They did not return any emails or phone calls. One of the yes votes to hire Colangelo was Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi. She sent CBS13 a statement calling Colangelo resourceful in outsourcing expertise: "Steve Colangelo acted well within his authority to consult and contract services under his discretionary budget. I commend him for being proactive in tapping into the expertise of one of the region's most seasoned city managers." Mayor Fugazi said that is what Stockton needs to move forward and make progress. "Bringing in a respected outside professional with a fresh set of eyes is a smart, necessary move to address complex challenges head-on," her statement continued. Colangelo is set to continue his role until at least August or until a permanent city manager is found. The next council meeting is June 3. Some councilmembers say they are hoping to get more clarity on the matter during that meeting.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mount Pleasant city manager resigns from office after two months
MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (KETK) – Mount Pleasant city manager Kimberly Meek has resigned from her position, citing unexpected family matters out of the state. Wesley Lyon to be sworn in as Mayor of Mount Pleasant 'After considerable reflection and due to unexpected personal family matters out of state, I write this letter to notify you that I am resigning my position as City Manager of Mount Pleasant, effective immediately,' Meek said to the Mount Pleasant City Council on Friday. Meek has only served as the city manager for just two months but she said she values all the relationships she's made in Mount Pleasant. 'The past few months have been filled with new experiences, and I value all the professional relationships I've developed here,' Meek said. 'The City is fortunate to have such dedicated Directors with a true heart to serve.' Assistant Mount Pleasant city manager Candias Webster will now serve as the acting city manager while the city council considers the appointment of an interim city manager until they can recruit a new city manager. Meek's resignation comes a year after former Mount Pleasant city manager Ed Thatcher resigned in May of 2024. The city council will hold a special agenda meeting on May 29. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Miller: At the the end of the day, I just want to be a great city manager.
May 10—MORGANTOWN — On April 16, Morgantown City Council convened for a 90-second special meeting to announce the result of a four-month national search for its next city manager. The body voted unanimously to hire Jamie Miller. Miller, 36, is originally from the Parma Heights area near Cleveland, but has spent most of her adult life in Florida, where she first entered municipal government as a human resources specialist before rising to deputy city manager and interim city manager for Port Orange, a coastal city of 65, 000. She comes to Morgantown from Paris, Ky., where she was hired as city manager on April 26, 2022. The seat of Bourbon County, Paris has just over 10, 000 residents and a current operating budget of $12.3 million. According to media reports, Miller was a finalist for city manager jobs in Manhattan, Kan., and Davenport, Iowa, in the past year. She will take over as Morgantown's chief executive by June 23 with a starting salary of $175, 000. She recently spoke with The Dominion Post about what drew her to the University City and her expectations for the job. What interested you in the city of Morgantown ? I'm very happy in my current community and wasn't necessarily looking to leave, but Morgantown really caught my eye when I saw the opportunity. I was drawn to it. I feel it's a dynamic community. I think it has a strong sense of civic pride and the city has a real mix of natural beauty. The university presence is great and I think it's a community really filled with a lot of opportunities, and that stood out to me. As I started the process and the interviews and talking to people, I felt there was a real alignment with, you know ... I believe in providing high quality municipal services — the highest quality we can at what we can afford to do it with. I felt that those I interacted with during the interview shared that vision and shared that drive to want to do good things for Morgantown. So, I felt very connected. I see Morgantown as a place where thoughtful leadership can make a meaningful impact and I think that's extremely important. How did you get into municipal government and how would you describe your leadership style ? I didn't necessarily go through a traditional path where I sought to get into local government, but that is where my career led me. I have a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology. So, I started my career in human resources. I ended up practicing human resources for a local government in Port Orange, Fla., and as I got into local government, it really gets into your blood. Public service is something that's either for you or it isn't. It has to be for you if you're going to continue it. I had the opportunity to work under a lot of fantastic people who poured into me, who developed me and challenged me to be my best, and I loved the public service. So, great people along the way saw things in me, and I think that leads to how I value my leadership style — looking for the greatness in others and bringing that out in them. In leadership, it's very important that you're able to respond to different situations. Situational leadership is very important. You need to be able to adapt. But I would say, overall, to describe my leadership style, it's going to be people-focused and collaborative. What do you see as the benefits and challenges of leading a city that's home to a major university with priorities that don't always align with the city ? It's definitely an opportunity. I'm excited to get in and build those relationships. I know the university is also going through some leadership changes, so I think it's a great opportunity for us to pull together and really reflect and say, "How can we do things that meet the common goal of the community as a whole ? How can we build on the things that we share perspectives on and build from those strengths instead of the things that can push us apart.?" Certainly, we can't ignore those, and we have to work on them. But I'm a big believer that as we talk about those, we have to work to understand the different perspectives and make sure we're using the same language. I find a lot of concerns can come down to communication and understanding — not just what people are saying, but why they're saying it. What is driving that need, or that fear or that missing piece that they're looking for ? So, making sure at the end of the day, can we find something where we do have a common goal and push that forward because I think everybody wants Morgantown to be great. I think that's something that everybody can agree on. The interwoven topics of social services, homelessness, addiction and mental health have received a tremendous amount of attention in recent years. What role should government play in addressing those issues, or should they be left to social service providers ? I think it has to be a mix. I mentioned previously, collaboration is my style. There are definitely services and things that may not be the city's core function to provide, and bringing in partners to be able to address those issues is important because they're very complex and they don't have simple solutions. You often have to tackle those items from multiple perspectives. So, I think you have to take a combined approach to it. I am aware that there's been some concern that's come up, but I also know that there's some great things that the city does offer. I know that they employ a social worker with the police department who's focused on connecting people with resources. Certainly, the city financially assists in some of those areas and provides support for social services, which is great to see. There has to be collaboration between government and social services as well the private and public sectors of the community. It is such a complex item to address. More partners will make us more successful. You will be the first woman hired to be Morgantown's city manager. Is that something that holds significance for you ? You know, it's not. I don't think too much about it. I was the first woman in Paris, as well. At the end of the day, I just want to be a great city manager. I'm certainly proud of the things I've been able to accomplish in my career, but that's not something I pay too much attention to. Morgantown's had a recent run of city managers who have stayed in the position for four years or less. Do you see yourself here long term ? I do. I do hope to have that vision. From a personal standpoint, I have a 15-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. I would certainly love to see them all the way through WVU. That would be the ultimate goal. So, I do see a long-term future in Morgantown. What would you like the people of Morgantown to know ? What I want the community to know is pretty simple — I'm here to serve them. I take the responsibility of city management very seriously and I want to be great for the community as a public servant. I'm here for them.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas City mayor, city council appoint new city manager
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City has named its next city manager. On Thursday, the Kansas City Council voted 11-2 to select Mario Vasquez to be the next city manager, just over a month after ousting Brian Platt. Downtown KC business owners demand action; mayor pushes back over text message dispute Vasquez currently serves as director of city planning and development and assistant city manager. According to his LinkedIn, Vasquez began his career with the City of Kansas City back in 1997. Last week, the City Council, along with Mayor Quinton Lucas, conducted public interviews with the three finalists for the position, which included Vasquez, Interim City Manager Kimiko Gilmore and Patrick Klein, the city's former aviation director. 'After interviewing all qualified candidates, Mario Vasquez emerged as the clear choice to lead our city administration,' Lucas said. 'His extensive experience in urban planning, economic development, and project management, combined with his 28-year dedication to Kansas City, made him the ideal candidate to guide our city forward.' See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Vasquez focused his interview on strengthening community partnerships. He also highlighted the importance of being present in neighborhoods and hearing directly from residents. In his current role as assistant city manager, he has overseen more than $600 million in public-private development initiatives and capital projects, according to the city. 'I am honored to be selected for the important position of city manager,' Vasquez said. 'Throughout my career, I have worked to bring people together, navigate diverse perspectives, build trust, and foster collaboration across departments and sectors. I know this community, its history, and its aspirations, and I am ready to guide Kansas City forward with purpose and resolve.' Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Vasquez will oversee all city departments and operations, manage a workforce of thousands of employees, and manage a multi-billion-dollar budget, according to Lucas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
