Mount Clemens commission fires city manager, names city clerk as interim

The Mount Clemens City Commission voted to terminate the employment agreement with City Manager Stephen M. Brown, effective immediately, and appointed Lisa Borges as interim city manager.

The action came after the commission recessed for an executive session for the manager’s performance review. A commissioner moved to terminate the employment agreement dated July 7, 2014; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll call vote. After the vote, Brown addressed the commission, thanked the mayor and commissioners for the opportunity to serve nearly two years and said he regretted that the employment relationship had ended.

The commission then voted to appoint Lisa Borges as interim city manager effective immediately and directed the city attorney to negotiate and draft an amendment to her employment agreement as city clerk to reflect the interim appointment. Commissioners also voted to ask the Michigan Municipal League’s executive search service to begin a selection process for a permanent city manager.

The termination motion and the interim appointment were recorded by roll call. The transcript shows commissioners voting in favor of both motions; the record displayed unanimous support during the roll calls provided in the meeting transcript. No severance, appeal rights, or additional personnel terms were specified in the public record at the meeting. The commission did not provide additional public detail about reasons for the termination during the open session beyond the procedural motions recorded.

The commission concluded the meeting after announcing the city had received $46,677 from the 41B District Court as the city’s share of access revenue for the past fiscal year.