Public asks for clarity on city manager selection after council names Ashley Combs; staff pledges to explain process

At the March 18, 2025 Middletown City Council meeting, resident Scottie Robertson urged the council to explain publicly how the city chose Ashley Combs as city manager so the new manager could begin with community confidence.

Scottie Robertson, speaking during public participation, said he had been told in multiple forums that assistant city managers would serve six‑month terms before a manager search, and that the process used in Middletown differed from that expectation. "I would just like you to share with all citizens what the process was, and make it as transparent as you can," Robertson said, adding he wanted Combs to begin her tenure "as strongly as she can."

Council members responded with congratulations to Combs. Council Member Lolli said he had worked with Combs for nearly a decade and called her "an excellent choice for Middletown." Mayor Slamka and other council members praised Combs’s selection and thanked city staff for their work.

During unfinished business, Public Works Director Scott Tadic said the city would pause a separate rollout that had caused confusion and would bring the process back to council before public release. "Things went out before they should have. It shouldn't have happened that way," Tadic said. He said the city will give council and the public ample time to review material before it goes to the public.

Ending City officials said they will provide more public information on selection processes and will return items to council for vetting to avoid future confusion. No formal action was taken on Robertson’s request during the meeting.