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Posted on Tue, Oct 25, 2011 : 4:13 p.m.

Ypsilanti City Manager Ed Koryzno stepping down for new role with state treasury office

By Tom Perkins

Ypsilanti City Manager Ed Koryzno will advise financially stressed communities to help them avoid takeover by an emergency manager in his new position at the Michigan Department of Treasury.

He announced at Oct. 18's regular council meeting his plans for retiring from the city after 15 years. Koryzno said he will not be an emergency manager.

Ed_Koryzno.jpg

Ed Koryzno

Per his contract, Koryzno is required to give the city 90 days notice, and his last day will be January 20, 2012.

Koryzno accepted a two-year contract extension in March and said at the time that he intended to stay in Ypsilanti to help see it through a rough financial time. On Oct. 18, he said the opportunity to work with the state presented itself after he signed the extension and added that the city’s financial picture had nothing to do with his departure.

“I had an opportunity to take a job with the state that I think would be challenging and still allow me to stay in touch with local governments,” he said.

Ypsilanti is projecting a $10.69 million budget shortfall in 2017, and many have raised fears of a state emergency manager takeover. Koryzno said it wouldn’t be impossible for him to end up working with Ypsilanti down the road.

Council members thanked Koryzno for his work and service after the announcement.

“He has been the glue that held Ypsilanti together,” Mayor Paul Schreiber said. “He has dealt with not only the current council but councils we’ve had previously, and his style is understated but strong."

Schreiber praised Koryzno for ensuring each council member had an equal voice, which Schreiber said is how Ypsilanti’s governing arrangement is supposed to work. He said Koryzno has been particularly effective in working with council on the budget and insisting that all of council be a part of the process, not just a sub-committee.

“He’s been the consummate professional for Ypsilanti,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber also noted that Koryzno has mentored employees who are now city managers in three cities in the state.

Most recently, former assistant City Manager April McGrath accepted a position as Ferndale's city manager. But with her and Koryzno’s departure, city staff will deal with its projected $10.69 million deficit with at least two new faces in its leadership.

Officials have been discussing whether the city should pursue an income tax or a millage to fund the debt payments for the Water Street property purchases. The city faces $30 million in Water Street debt and must make payments that will soon grow to $1.3 million annually.

Responding to Koryzno’s critics, Schreiber said he thought Koryzno was unfairly blamed for Water Street. He said Koryzno made the proposal in 2000 when real estate values were shooting up, and council ultimately voted.

“So it was a council decision,” Schreiber said.

There was no discussion on how the city would seek a replacement, though Schreiber said last week that he thought the city may hire an interim replacement who had no interest in permanently filling the position. He said the council would then have to decide whether it wanted to hire a search agency and develop a timeline.

Comments

jcj

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 11:47 a.m.

Not enough news? Was this not posted the 25th?

YpsiVeteran

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:49 a.m.

The disregard displayed by the city towards its employees is sickening. The city manager tenders his resignation over a week ago, and city employees have to find out about it in the paper.

YpsiVeteran

Thu, Oct 27, 2011 : 12:44 a.m.

Thomas, I find it interesting you declare yourself "sure" of something that did not, in fact, occur. Additionally, whatever "something" it was that told you they "all" knew weeks ago is equally incorrect, and therefore lacking in any credibility and value whatsoever.

jjc155

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 1:38 p.m.

I found out before it was announced at the city council meeting, maybe u are not listening to the right people etc, LOL

jcj

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 1:25 p.m.

Thomas To Say "Unless you're a city employee, you have nothing to say about it." Is like saying: Unless you have a child in school don't tell me how they should behave! I suspect YpsiVeteran served to preserve the right to have an opinion!

Thomas

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.

It was mentioned at the last city council meeting. And I'm sure an email went out to everyone and there's always word of mouth. Something tells me they all knew weeks ago. Unless you're a city employee, you have nothing to say about it.

trespass

Tue, Oct 25, 2011 : 9:33 p.m.

This has become the system in Michigan. He resigns from one government position and takes his pension while accepting another, probably higher paying position in government. These kind of non-retirement retirements are killing our government budgets.

jcj

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 2:56 p.m.

In the carpenters union if you take your pension you cannot work in the same field while drawing your pension. But it does not prevent you from working in another field.

YpsiVeteran

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 4:55 a.m.

I don't understand your problem. The man is obviously too young to not work anymore. If he in fact does get some pension from the city, which is not a given, why should he not seek another job? Exactly how does it impact either the city's budget or the state's? The city will hire someone to replace him, now possibly at a lower salary, and the state would pay the same amount no matter who they hired. If you retire after 20 or 30 years at a company, and you're still in your late 40's or early 50's, should you be prohibited from getting another job someplace? It makes zero sense. He's not returning to work for the city, he's going to work for the state.

Basic Bob

Wed, Oct 26, 2011 : 2:43 a.m.

You can't blame the lucky administrators. The "system" rewards double dippers.