Bessemer loses city manager and clerk-treasurer

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer — The Bessemer City Council is now facing the vacancy of its two highest positions in the city, thanks to the recent resignation of Jennifer Adams.

Upon returning from vacation on Monday, Adams decided to leave her roles as city manager and as interim clerk-treasurer after council members refused last week to honor her demands.

Specifically, in an Aug. 16 notice, Adams informed the council that she wished to leave her role as city manager while retaining the role of clerk/treasurer — but only if she could receive a salary of $65,000 and the same benefits she received as city manager.

Adams began the job of city manager on Jan. 1 after serving as interim city manager ever since her predecessor, Charly Loper, served her last day on Nov. 10 of 2022.

Before becoming city manager, Adams also had been the city’s clerk/treasurer.

Although Kristie Peterson assumed that role from Feb. 21-July 14, Adams also has continued to cover the clerk/treasurer responsibilities outside of that window. She also trained Peterson.

At a special meeting on Aug. 23, the council voted to accept Adams’ resignation from her roles unless she was willing to negotiate on her benefits as she returned only to being clerk/treasurer.

Linda Nelson made that motion, supported by Robert Coleman, and Mayor Adam Zak joined in voting aye. Terry Kryshak voted no, and Charles Tirpik was absent.

Kryshak first had motioned to hire Adams as clerk-treasurer and negotiate benefits with her, but that motion failed for lack of a second.

“I think it’s very embarrassing that the Bessemer community drove two very capable women to resign from the city manager position,” said Kryshak regarding both Adams and Loper having had resigned in less than a year’s time.

“It’s been hard,” he added in relation to Adams wearing multiple hats. “I’m really sad to see her backing off on the city manager position. I’m thrilled that she’s willing to take the clerk/treasurer position. The salary is high, but that’s the nature of the accounting positions right now.”

Adams had been hired as clerk-treasurer in the fall of 2020 at a salary of $47,000 with a contract stating that her salary would rise by 1.5% each year.

However, local officials have acknowledged that the market has changed in the past few years, with business graduates demanding higher wages due to shrinking numbers of candidates.

Peterson’s salary as clerk/treasurer was $54,000.

Adams’ current contract as city manager started on Jan. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2026. The contract lists her first-year salary as $70,000 per year plus three weeks of vacation and all other standard employee benefits. The salary for year four is stated as $74,285 plus four weeks of vacation and other benefits.

Loper’s salary was nearly $65,000 when she left the same job last fall.

When Adams expressed her desire to return to her role as clerk/treasurer, she also specified that she would be willing to continue as interim city manager throughout this year, but only if the council agreed to pay her an additional $2,000 per pay period.

“As much as this is a hard decision, I don’t want to enter the door of caving to demands instead of entering into good faith negotiations,” said Zak. “It’s opening the door to anything else we negotiate with anyone.”

He added that he thought Adams’ vacation demands were “too much,” and Coleman echoed that he could not support them either.

“I’m personally very offended by this letter saying do what I want or I quit,” said Nelson.

“I’m also offended by her demands,” said Coleman. “She’s essentially trying to hold us hostage.”

Coleman added that, while the request for a $65,000 salary as clerk/treasurer was acceptable, the demand for an additional $2,000 per paycheck to cover city manager duties was “absolutely ridiculous” and said that the manner in which Adams had gone about making her demands was “all wrong.”

“I think we’ve done all we can to make it work,” said the mayor of the city manager job. “Unfortunately, it’s a stressful, hard job.”

He added of both Adams as city manager and Peterson as clerk/treasurer, “Effectively, we had two very green people in two very important departments, and this is where we are now.”

Despite each woman’s lack of experience for those specific roles, Nelson applauded them for their efforts.

“I do think that Kristie was trying very hard,” said Nelson. “I think she was doing a good job.”

Nelson added of Adams, “She did do a good job. She was very respectful.”

Coleman added that he thought the council had a good working relationship with both women, but he added of Loper, “I know there are some city residents who made her job absolutely miserable.”

Adams confirmed to The Globe on Tuesday that she intends to remain in her current positions until Sept. 22.

Her contract includes the following statement: “$10,000 bonus if manager decides to leave prior to contract expiration and assists in the hiring and 30-day transition training of replacement city manager before departure.”

Adams also clarified on Tuesday that the 30-day countdown began on Aug. 16, the date of the resignation letter that she included as an alternative to council members if they decided against meeting her demands.

In related action at the Aug. 23 meeting, the council also discussed the pending need to post positions for city manager and interim city manager. Kryshak suggested contacting the Michigan Municipal League for possible candidates.

Council members were expected to meet again on this past Monday for a regularly scheduled meeting, but it was cancelled due to a lack of quorum. That session was rescheduled for what was expected to be another special meeting on Wednesday evening.

During that meeting, council members expected to interview two internal candidates for clerk/treasurer: Deputy Clerk Kelli Stutz and Secretary Samantha Dorr, who also serves as the Downtown Development Coordinator.