BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – The city of Birmingham is going through a lot of flux.
The city manager of 24 years decided to move on, so did the assistant city manager and a number of department heads. That gave some commissioners pause, wanting an experienced hand at the helm.
READ: Michigan General Election Results for Birmingham on Nov. 3, 2020
On Monday night, the Birmingham City Council held a Zoom meeting. At the beginning, Mayor Pro Tem Therese Longe gave a plaque to Mayor Pierre Boutros for his impressive first term. He happily accepted it.
It was only moments later, council member Rackeline Hoff, while saying she holds Boutros in high esteem, doesn’t think he should serve a second term in a row.
“We need a mayor who has more experience. Who can step forward to help the incoming staff members. Who can give direction to the entire commission,” Hoff said.
Another council member expressed the same concern. When it came to a vote, it was the mayor himself who broke a 3-3 tie.
He took the oath of office thereafter. The mayor, a pharmacist by trade, said it surprised him that his vote had his phone ringing off the hook on Tuesday. But he makes no apologies for casting that deciding vote for himself.
Boutros also said making his decision wasn’t hard considering no one ran against him.
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