After firing its City Manager earlier this year, Muskegon Heights officials have found a replacement for now; meanwhile, the Public School district is still without a Superintendent.
Back in January, a divided Muskegon Heights City Council voted to terminate current City Manager Troy Bell, while admitting it did not have a plan to replace him; Muskegon Heights Mayor Walter Watt then called a number of emergency meetings to discuss next steps, only to have to cancel those meetings when a number of City Council members elected to not show up to the meetings, mostly those who had voted Bell out of office.
The situation quickly evolved into a city in peril; specifically because a city manager is needed to sign off on official business as well as government employee checks.
The City Council said however, it has found a familiar face to lead the city in the short term, hiring on former city manager Melvin Burns as interim while the council searches for a more p ermanent solution.
The lack of leadership has also plagued Muskegon Heights Public Schools this year, as the Academy System has gone the entire year without a Superintendent. After the school board fired New Paradigm For Education, its charter school board last week, the district had announced five candidates have applied for the job after a national search, including Lakisha Loudermill, the principal of Muskegon Middle School.