Council directs RFP for city manager search; charter amendment language deferred for further review

The Eastpointe City Council voted to direct administration to issue a request for proposals for professional city manager search services; the motion passed on roll call with one member recorded as voting no. The move launches a formal recruitment process that could include firms, the Michigan Municipal League, or an in-house HR-led approach depending on proposals received.

Separately, council discussed a proposed charter amendment (Resolution 25-2002) that would modify the charter’s language on required prior experience for a city manager. Some members said the existing charter is too restrictive — it can exclude candidates with equivalent municipal management backgrounds whose titles differ — while others expressed concern that broader wording could allow applicants without sufficiently comparable administrative experience. The council voted to table the charter amendment to a future meeting to allow additional review of the proposed language and voter-facing ballot language.

City legal staff said if the council approves a charter amendment it must be submitted to the Michigan Attorney General’s office for review before it goes on a future ballot. Councilmembers discussed timing and agreed there was sufficient time for further edits before any submission deadline for a November ballot if the council chose to move forward.