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Bisbee council appoints Ashlee Coronado as city manager, approves $130,000 employment agreement
Summary
The Bisbee City Council unanimously appointed Interim City Manager Ashlee Coronado to the full-time City Manager role and approved an employment agreement with a $130,000 salary; council members cited continuity and cost savings from promoting internally amid calls from at least one resident to delay consideration.
The Bisbee City Council voted unanimously on June 16 to appoint Ashlee Coronado as City Manager and approve an employment agreement that sets an annual salary of $130,000.
Mayor Ken Budge introduced the appointment and said the position would be a full‑time City Manager role rather than a combined City Manager/City Clerk assignment. Councilmembers who supported the appointment cited Coronado’s institutional knowledge, leadership during emergencies and the financial savings of promoting internally rather than hiring through a national search. Several members highlighted continuity and stability as key rationales.
During public comment prior to the motion, resident Fred Miller urged the council to table the agreement until Aug. 4, saying the public had been excluded and raising questions about salary, the creation of an assistant city manager position, reorganization authority and severance/reversion provisions. City Attorney Joseph Estes addressed claims that the contract could trigger a $700,000 payout, saying those figures were inaccurate and that the reversion clause would apply only in the event of an involuntary termination and would not apply if Ms. Coronado voluntarily resigned.
Mayor Budge said the proposed salary was below that of many comparable Arizona municipalities and emphasized that internal promotion would avoid the costs of a national recruitment. Councilmember Mel Sowid moved to appoint Coronado and approve the employment agreement; Councilmember Anna Cline seconded the motion and the council approved it by roll call vote, 6–0.
The employment agreement and the appointment take effect immediately; questions about internal reorganization and any subsequent staffing changes were discussed but not formally decided during the meeting.
