Ann Arbor’s New City Admin: Powers
At its July 18, 2011 regular meeting, the Ann Arbor city council chose unanimously to offer Steve Powers the job of city administrator. The decision for Powers over another finalist, Ellie Oppenheim, came after two rounds of interviews on July 12-13, including a televised session on Wednesday morning. [Previous Chronicle coverage: "Search Concluding for Ann Arbor City Admin"] The council moved the item to the start of its agenda on Monday evening and deliberated briefly on the choice.
Powers currently serves as county administrator of Marquette County, Mich. – a position he’s held since 1996. Oppenheim most recently served as CEO of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.
The resolution approved by the city council on Monday specifies that the appointment of Powers is contingent on signing a contract. The council’s city administrator search committee had recommended targeting recruitment of a city administrator with a base salary in the $145,000-$150,000 range. Negotiations on the council’s side will be handled by members of the search committee: Marcia Higgins (Ward 4), Sabra Briere (Ward 1), Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) and mayor John Hieftje. [Full Story]