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Erie mayor says "it is time for a change at the top"; council split over town manager's future
Summary
Mayor Moore told the council he has concluded it's time to change the town's top leadership, prompting a lengthy public debate and calls for further review of a 360 evaluation; the council took no termination vote and agreed to schedule a date to review the full 360 materials and consider next steps.
Mayor Moore opened a public conversation on the town manager's contract on Feb. 10, 2026, telling the council that after reviewing leadership needs he had "concluded that it is time for a change at the top." The comment launched an extended, often heated public discussion among council members about whether Town Manager Malcolm should remain in his post.
Why it matters: Council members framed the issue as a strategic one about the town's future direction, citing major long-range needs including water, facility expansion, parks-and-recreation funding and development decisions. Several council members said the town needs a highly visible, strategic manager to lead through those challenges; others said the manager's performance review shows many strengths and cautioned against a hurried personnel action.
Mayor Moore read a note he had previously distributed to council summarizing his view of the town manager role and saying he and Malcolm had discussed the possibility that, "if the majority of the council prefers to go in a different direction, he would like to negotiate the terms of a mutual parting of ways in an amended contract rather than a public vote to terminate his contract." The mayor listed specific concerns he said justified rethinking leadership, including communication gaps, questions about project timelines and what he described as a lack of visible engagement in some public forums.
Several council members pushed back. Council member Baer said staff and the manager have many strengths and described the 360 review as positive: "It is a glowing review and I think you should be proud to have it published for everyone to see," Baer said, and urged fellow councilors to review the full 360 materials before deciding. Council member Hoback similarly said the 360 evaluation contained strong endorsements of Malcolm's leadership and asked for more time to consider the material.
Other council members said their views had changed since an earlier executive-session discussion and that newly available information had prompted them to consider new leadership. Mayor Pro Tem noted he did not believe any "terminal offense" had occurred but said he supports seeking a different voice for the next 5'10 years because of the scale of upcoming challenges.
Councilors also debated process. Some members said they had received the manager's 360 review only that afternoon and asked for time to read and absorb it; others said there were executive-session items relevant to the public discussion that they could not disclose in open session.
No termination vote was taken. The council first approved an executive session earlier in the evening to discuss negotiation positions and property-related matters. After returning to public session to address the manager topic at the manager's request, Mayor Moore said he would work with the manager and the town attorney to schedule a date-certain meeting to review the 360 material and determine whether further action is warranted. The council chair said the 360 review would be brought back for committee deliberation either in public or in executive session, depending on legal guidance.
Council members on both sides emphasized next steps rather than immediate action: additional review of the 360 feedback, clarification of process and a scheduled follow-up meeting. The meeting adjourned after the council committed to set a date for the 360 review discussion.
