Two department heads seek city manager post

Tecumseh Police Chief Troy Stern and Tecumseh Economic Development Director Paula Holtz have both applied for the soon-to-be vacant city manager position. Current City Manager Kevin Welch is resigning from the position and his last day will be in mid-July. According to Stern, council directed Welch two weeks ago to post the job internally at which point Stern decided to apply. “I am just honored to have the opportunity to be considered one of the candidates,” Stern said, adding Welch leaves “big shoes to fill. It’s an incredible opportunity to interview in front of council.” The two applicants will be interviewed next Monday, June 8. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. for council to select interview questions with interviews beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. “I just view this as an opportunity to continue the momentum we’ve been able to gather over the last several years,” said Holtz. “And I certainly want to see that momentum to continue. Tecumseh is my hometown. It’s a place I choose to live in and I’ve been working hard over the last 13 years to make it the place I want to live in.”Baker said council has no set criteria for the position, only that the candidate can work with city council and management, create a budget, delegate authority, and “the normal things you’d look for when hiring. Council will do its homework.“It was a consensus of council [to look within],” Baker continued, adding that if a candidate cannot be promoted from within, council would most likely receive hiring assistance through the Michigan Municipal League.Previously, council has hired from within and procured the assistance of a hiring firm to fill the city manager’s position. At the regular meeting on Monday night, council entered into closed session for application reviews and upon reentering open session, affirmed to interview Holtz and Stern.