Adrian, MI – Adrian Police Chief Vince Emrick has officially been appointed as the new administrator for the City of Adrian…following a tense roughly 30 minute debate among the city commission. They were in the midst of a work study session at their regular meeting Monday night, with the goal of hiring a search firm to seek candidates for the administrator position.
During this discussion, Commissioner Gordon Gauss introduced a motion to appoint Emrick full-time, with Commissioner Kelly Castleberry supporting the motion. Commissioner Robert Behnke objected, arguing that Emrick should be allowed to compete with other interested candidates and that the public deserved a chance to comment on the matter.
Commissioner Mary Roberts agreed with Behnke, expressing surprise at the sudden proposal. Gauss and Castleberry defended their motion, offering praise for the work Emrick had done in his nine weeks during his current stint as acting city administrator.
Roberts and Behnke countered that they did not object to the possibility of Emrick being hired, but rather the breach of convention posed by the motion itself. Emrick stated that while he had engaged in private conversations about his interest in assuming the full-time position, he had not been formally offered it beforehand. In the past, he has not shown interest in the position of Administrator.
The commission ultimately voted to appoint Emrick in a 4 to 2 vote, with Mayor Angie Heath siding with Commissioners Miller, Castleberry and Gauss. Emrick will now enter into employment negotiations with the city, and is expected to resign from his position as police chief. WLEN News spoke with both Chief Emrick and Mayor Heath, and they will be featured in a future newscast.
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