Kalamazoo not 'wowed' by pool of candidates that included former Ann Arbor administrator
Underwhelmed by the pool candidates vying to replace retiring Kalamazoo City Manager Kenneth Collard, the Kalamazoo City Commission has decided to reboot its search, MLive reported.
The pool being passed over included former Ann Arbor City Administrator Roger Fraser, who was among five finalists who interviewed for the position on May 21.
Roger Fraser at his interview for the position of Kalamazoo city manager on May 21.
MLive file photo
MLive reported the commission is moving forward without the search firm it has worked with since February. Commissioners cited a lack of enthusiasm about both the candidates and the search firm, with one commissioner saying the candidates were victims of a bad recruitment process.
Another commissioner suggested starting over with a new search firm and possibly conducting a targeted search of people who are in the community and who care about the community.
Fraser, who is now Michigan's deputy state treasurer for local government services, told MLive on Wednesday he hadn't yet been informed of the commission's decision and couldn't comment.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
Patricia Lesko
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 2:29 p.m.
Good for Mayor Hopewell and the Kzoo leaders. Mr. Fraser is sitting on at least two public pensions (including one from Ann Arbor), and left behind a financial mess. It's no coincidence that the managers Fraser hired (Sue McCormick, Barnett Jones, Dan Rainey, etc...) have jumped ship now that there are Council members who actually read the proposed budget, ask questions, and understand the audit statements. City Attorney Stephen Postema and CFO Tom Crawford should be circulating their resumes, as well. While City Administrator, Fraser misled the public about "falling" property tax revenues (http://www.a2politico.com/2011/02/whopper-of-the-year-award-ann-arbor-city-administrator-roger-fraser%E2%80%94property-tax-revenues-are-down/) as an excuse to cut services, misused his city credit card, and headed a group of highly-paid managers who compensated themselves with stays at 4 star resorts and $1,000 meals out on the public dime. Ann Arbor's new City Administrator quietly cut off car allowances for a large number of city staffers (http://www.a2politico.com/2013/02/19-top-level-city-staffers-lose-car-allowances-including-police-chief-and-cfo/), and staff spending on meals out is way down. Kalamazoo dodged the bullet that was The Rog. There's a reason Barnett Jones and Dan Rainey have gone to work for Sue McCormick in Detroit. Maybe she can find a job for her old boss.
Kafkaland
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 12:22 a.m.
Let's just say we weren't wowed by him when he was in Ann Arbor. Kalamazoo has the foresight to realize this already during the interview.
a2citizen
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:41 p.m.
A photo op AT a job interview???!!! I'm almost incredulous.
motorcycleminer
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
Good to hear sanity is alive and well outside the dome......
Ann Arbor Parents For Students
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.
I don't think this is a very nice article. Why would you tight something on a person's failure of getting a job.
theTruth
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 5:55 p.m.
Oh well. Sounds like he got called out on his make believe resume. Some of the management at the City /15th District Court need to rethink some of their imagined goodness.
An Arborigine
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:55 p.m.
I hear the former AA Police Chief only has one full-time job now. He would likely accept this position also, if offered.
nowayjose
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 4:28 p.m.
He worthless. Good decision on their part
theTruth
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 5:58 p.m.
The city needs to follow suit and get rid of some proven bad news management.