A well-known city manager with plenty of supporters and detractors lights up the county health director for failing to engage his community in substantive discussions. Another city manager appears set to leave his current position to manage a small town that has just 1% of his current population. A mayor in Georgia says they are back to square one in their search for a city manager — even though they seem like they have never left square one since the departure of their last permanent city manager. And a city manager has resigned less than a year into their tenure.
All that and more news after the job postings.
Job Board Postings
It is free to post all of your senior and executive level recruitments over at the AAME job board. If you would like to include them in this newsletter, select the $199 option.
City/County Manager Recruitments
IL: Streator - City Manager (3/23/2026) | Arndt Municipal Support
PA: DuBois - City Manager (4/17/2026) | Kafferlin Strategies
TX: Marshall - City Manager (4/1/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Morgan’s Point Resort - City Manager (3/13/2026) | Clear Career
Other
IL: Village of St. Joseph - Public Works Director (2/23/2026) | in-house
KS: Osage County - County Controller (4/14/2026) | Bird Dog Consulting
TX: Dumas - Finance Director (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Bridgeport - Assistant Chief of Police (3/20/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Lufkin - City Engineer (3/30/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Marble Falls - Finance Director (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Odessa - Chief Financial Officer (First Review 2/22/2026) | Clear Career
MI: City Manager Blasts County Health Official
The St. Clair County health department is asking communities to voluntarily stop adding fluoride to drinking water. However, that has rankled some local leaders, including Port Huron City Manager James Freed who claims that director has never reached out to engage his community on this issue.
“It’s hard to take the medical director seriously when he sends out random press releases, but never actually has a conversation with us,” Freed said. “Seems to me that he just wants to use this issue to peddle his blog and podcast appearances.”
NY: School board in secret pays for PR firm to manage its message on new superintendent
Pertains to a school district, but lessons to be gleaned for city and county governments.
The Fayetteville-Manlius school board hired a public relations consultant for $20,000 without any public vote, public discussion or contract, to help smooth over the hiring of a superintendent with the public.
The board agreed in private to allow its law firm to bill the district an extra $20,000 for 90 days of work by a crisis management and messaging consultant.
GA: Without a permanent city manager since 2019, Metter mayor says they are back to square one in their search. Say what!
In last week’s meeting of Metter City Council, Mayor Rashida Taylor announced that Council is ending its current City Manager search and starting back at the beginning.
The City has operated under an interim city manager since the resignation of Mandi Cody in the summer of 2019. Scott Wood was named Interim City Manager in 2024 and will continue in this capacity until a new city manager is hired.
MT: Bigger Not Always Better! Billings City Manager Leaving Largest City in State to Manage Michigan Town of 1,200
It has been said that big things can come in small packages. For Billings City Manager Chris Kukulski that may just be the case. He has led the city of 120,000 since 2018, but apparently “home” and the beautiful lakeshore community of Harbor Springs, Michigan is calling his name.
He was declared the finalist and appears eager to depart. He was a candidate in the Ottaway County, Michigan search a little while back.
Kukulski is earning over $200,000 now and figures to take a substantial reduction in pay. However, for some folks “mo’ money equals mo’ problems.”
News Around the Country
CA: San Diego LTE: Firing a city manager to address problems is easier than removing a mayor
CO: Jefferson County Manager Joe Kirby has been unanimously selected to be the finalist for the Montrose County vacancy where he previously served as the manager from 2006-2009
IL: 'I Did Not Fall Asleep Last Night' insists Joliet mayor
IN: Indiana State trooper responding to call ends up in handcuffs after Austin police thought he was a fleeing criminal, deployed stop sticks
ME: Former Houlton town manager set for plea hearing in domestic assault case; had resulted in fracture on governing body when majority opted to support him
MI: Next Bay City manager could make up to $185K a year
NC: Hickory City Manager Warren Wood has promoted Public Works Director Steve Miller to assistant city manager
OR: ‘Unprofessional and inappropriate’: Washington County Board chair dinged for text message but cleared of discrimination, harassment allegations leveled by former executive of county sewer agency
PA: Souderton Borough Manager Sara Jarrett-Eaton has been named one of the recipients of the 2026 Phyllis Lieberman Women’s Trailblazer Scholarship, a program recognizing women advancing leadership in municipal government
PA: ‘No legal justification’: Williamsport holds virtual meeting during ‘Sunshine Week’
TX: Denison’s interim city manager Bobby Attenberry retiring effective May 1st
VA: Hopewell lures away Loudon County DCA Vincent Jones to be their next city manager
WA: Group plans initiative to change Edmonds from mayor to city manager form of government
WI: Marinette County Administrator John Lefebvre retiring
WV: Oak Hill City Manager Cris Meadows has resigned from his position less than a year after being appointed
Contracts & Compensation
IL: Wood River City Council approves changes to city administrator contract to remove residency requirements and lower termination vote threshold
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