During the 14 years I served on Lathrup Village City Council, we had three City Administrators. When Jeff Bremer left to take a job with Center Line, we promoted Jeff Mueller, our Assistant City Administrator. When Jeff Mueller retired, we promoted our Assistant City Administrator, Matt Baumgarten, to replace Jeff.

In 2016, Matt Baumgarten took a City Manager position with the City of Berkley. Your City Council did an outside search to find our new City Administrator. The person hired lasted less than one year.

We are now searching for our fourth City Administrator in the past seven years.

When our City Administration staff determined that we no longer promote from within, our best young talent moved on for better opportunities. Since 2017, turnover within our administrative staff has exceeded 100%! It now takes more staff with less experience to do the same amount of work. And, Administrative expense, primarily salaries and benefits, has increased over 80% in the past five years!

If elected to City Council, Karen, Barb and I will do everything we can to promote from within to fill our City Administrator position. But let’s expand the “from within” definition to include community commission and board members and qualified Lathrup Village residents.

Vote for Kenez, Miller, and Weaks for positive change in Lathrup Village!