Ann Arbor City Council member Jane Lumm says the decision to remove Howard Lazarus as the city administrator came after they thought "very carefully" before voting to remove him from the job.
Lumm talks with WEMU's Lisa Barry about the decision and says it boils down to "having a positive, healthy relationship between elected officials and the administrator necessary for city government to work effectively."
Ann Arbor councilwoman Jane Lumm was among the seven council members who voted in favor of terminating the contract with city administrator Howard Lazarus on February 18th, 2020.
She says Ann Arbor residents deserve a high performing team, and although she wouldn't go into the details of Lazarus's dismissal, she did say the relationship with City Council had been deteriorating, not improving.
Lumm says, "Having a positive healthy relationship between elected officials and the administrator is necessary for city government to work effectively."
Councilwoman Lumm says, after much discussion, she and fellow council members concluded that "a change in leadership was necessary."
Moving forward, Lumm says they will be looking for someone "highly ethical and honest and professional" as Ann Arbor's next city administrator.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
