Chelsea Council Selects Preferred City Manager Candidate 

After holding a special council meeting interviewing three candidates on July 14, City Council voted to bring in Marc Thompson as the interim City Manager, pending background check and a formal hiring process.

Mayor Jane Pacheco emphasized at the meeting that the intention for this position is to fill it in the interim until the November council and mayoral elections, allowing the incoming council to select a more permanent person for the position. Thompson, having retired from city management in 2019, has since worked multiple interim positions throughout Michigan.

“I think there’s some advantages for the city to have an interim City Manager,” Thompson said to council in his interview. “I would not be a candidate for the long-term, and as a result, I will be straightforward with you, and I will identify good things and bad things.”

Thompson stated his priorities focus on establishing a strong position for the future City Manager to step into.

“What I’ve tried to do in other places is create an environment where whoever the permanent person is has sort of fertile soil to work with, so I try to do the things that make that person’s success more likely.”

While all seven council members attended the meeting, three had to do so virtually because of the change in July meeting dates, and were unable to vote. However, both Kate Henson and Tony Ianelli spoke over Zoom during public comment in support of Marc Thompson. After brief discussion, the council voted through a ranked choice system, and Thompson was chosen.