Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Harper Woods appoints acting manager as city manager and approves severance changes
Summary
The council unanimously appointed Acting City Manager John Szymanski as city manager and amended employment agreements to add 12 months retirement-eligible severance for him and the city clerk; the move drew public comment urging delay because of pending litigation and questions about recruitment and severance terms.
The Harper Woods City Council voted unanimously to appoint Acting City Manager John Szymanski as the city’s permanent city manager and to amend the employment agreements of both the city manager and the city clerk to provide 12 months of retirement-eligible severance if the city terminates their agreements.
Why it matters: The appointments and severance changes formalize a leadership transition that council members said brings continuity while some residents urged delay until pending litigation is resolved and asked that the city run a more open recruitment process.
Szymanski told the council he was requesting the appointment effective immediately and asked that his existing agreement be amended to provide a year’s salary as retirement-eligible severance if terminated. “I am requesting that the vacancy of the city manager position be filled by me…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
