Kalamazoo Commission votes to negotiate with Malcolm Hankins for city manager

The Kalamazoo City Commission voted Monday night to recommend Malcolm Hankins as the city’s next city manager and authorized negotiators to begin contract talks.

The vote followed three public forums, a community meet-and-greet and a national recruitment process managed by the consulting firm Raftelis. Commissioner Erica Prado moved to recommend Hankins; Commissioner Stephanie Hoffman seconded the motion. The roll call vote recorded six yes votes (Mayor David F. Anderson, Vice Mayor Hess, Commissioner Don Cooney, Commissioner Stephanie Hoffman, Commissioner Bridal, Commissioner Alonzo Wilson) and one no vote (Commissioner Keanna Decker); the motion passed and commissioners directed staff to begin negotiated terms.

Commissioners and dozens of public commenters framed the decision around community trust. Multiple residents and neighborhood leaders urged the commission to pick a candidate who would prioritize equity, neighborhood engagement and visible outreach. A repeated theme in public comments and in commissioners’ remarks was that trust between City Hall and many Kalamazoo residents is low and that the next manager should be able to rebuild it.

Commissioner Wilson said restoring trust was the dominant local problem and said he would support Hankins for that reason. Commissioner Cooney described Hankins’ neighborhood and homeless-service experience and cited the need to “do enough for those who have too little.” Commissioner Decker, who voted no, said she supported an internal candidate and described the choice as difficult. Commissioner Prado, who moved the offer, said she was voting in alignment with “the voices and concerns and hopes expressed by our residents.”

Public comment on the appointment was extensive. Speakers included neighborhood organizers, members of ISAAC (Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy and Action in the Community), nonprofit leaders and city employees. Several community activists and representatives of local homeless-service groups publicly endorsed Hankins’ candidacy for his experience in neighborhood revitalization and strategies for homelessness and equity. Others — including some city employees — publicly endorsed Laura Lam, the city’s chief operating officer, citing her institutional knowledge and continuity.

Mayor Anderson said the commission had run a national search and had considered 56 applicants, later narrowed to 10 and four finalists, before selecting the recommended candidate. Pamela Weidman of Raftelis contacted Hankins after the vote; he confirmed he is interested in negotiations and is available to move forward.

The commission also discussed contingency planning in case negotiations with Hankins failed. Vice Mayor Hess moved that, if negotiations were unsuccessful, the commission authorize negotiations with Laura Lam; that secondary motion was seconded but later withdrawn before a final vote. Commissioners explained the withdrawal reflected a preference to allow negotiations with Hankins to proceed without pre-committing a fallback contract.

Next steps: the commission authorized staff and legal counsel to enter negotiations with Hankins and requested that a negotiated agreement be returned to the commission for final approval. Commissioners said they expect background checks and other standard pre-employment steps before any contract is finalized and returned for adoption.

Commissioners emphasized that the selection is the beginning of a process they hope will restore community confidence and support collaborative work across city departments and neighborhoods.