Columbus council fires City Manager Isaiah Hugley, approves pay through 2025 retirement date

Columbus City Council voted May 27 to terminate City Manager Isaiah Hugley effective immediately, approving payment of his regular salary and benefits through his stated retirement date of Dec. 31, 2025.

Councilor Charmaine Crabb moved the termination in an executive-session motion, citing what she described as “a pattern of sustained dysfunction and operational breakdowns” in city departments. The motion carried on a recorded in-chamber count: seven members voted in favor and three opposed. The council recorded the vote by raised hands after returning from executive session.

The council’s action directs the city to pay Hugley his regular compensation and benefits through Dec. 31, 2025, consistent with language the council referred to in his employment agreement.

Hugley spoke briefly after the public announcement, thanking the mayor and city staff and saying he would make additional statements at a later date. He did not dispute the vote during his remarks.

Council members who addressed the termination afterward offered a mix of appreciation and criticism. Several council members thanked Hugley for his years of service and noted accomplishments during his tenure; others said the council had lost confidence in his continuing leadership because of operational failures that surfaced in recent months.

The council made no immediate public announcement about an interim city manager or the transition plan beyond the compensation directive. The council’s personnel and legal processes for replacement and the operational transition will follow city policy and the employment agreement terms cited in the motion.

Provenance: The proposal, motion and tally were made at the May 27 council meeting and recorded after an executive session. Evidence spans the council’s executive-session return and the public votes recorded on the dais.