Delaware City Council voted 5-2 not to renew the contract of City Manager Paul Brake during a special meeting held Aug. 31.
Brake has occupied the role since August 2024.
The meeting was called exclusively to vote on the contract non-renewal, which means Brake will leave his role officially Dec. 31, 2026. Councilmember Kevin Rider said it came after a series of closed-door conversations between members of the council, and the meeting didn't include a specific reasoning for the decision.
Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle and Councilmember Rider voted against not renewing Brakes' contract. Vice Mayor Catlin Frazier and Councilmembers Kyle Bogan, Linsey Griffith, Adam Haynes and Matthew McClellan voted not to renew the contract.
Brake oversees a staff of 400
people and a $100 million budget. He told The Delaware Source that he's worked in local government management for 35 years, including positions in Michigan and West Virginia before coming to Ohio.
In an interview with The Dispatch, Brake said although the industry faces new challenges as residents demand more from local government − which then try to produce results with limited resources − he's never experienced a contract non-renewal situation quite like this one.
Brake said he first became aware that City Council may not renew his contract about a week ago, and he was never informed of the reason behind the decision. Overall, he said he remains proud of the work he's done.
"Over the last two years, we've accomplished a great deal," Brake said. "Major infrastructure, economic development projects, improvements to our services, financial position, parks, public safety and so many other areas that belong to the entire organization. That's the result of the hard work of the people that I've worked with and my role of leading the organization."
Council members thank Brake amid short meeting on contract
In the 6-minute-long meeting, multiple council members thanked Brake for his contributions to the city during his tenure and emphasized the heavy amounts of discussion that went into the decision not to renew his contract. In information obtained from his performance reviews by the Delaware Source, Brake received good reviews in most categories and from most council members, with the biggest critique seeming to be his communication practices.
Frazier told the Dispatch that the Council is looking for a leader focused on communication.
"I think ultimately as a body we are looking at thoughtful consideration for the long-term vision, some of our future needs and what that looks like from a leadership perspective," Frazier said. "That's what was the driving factor."
Brake was accepting of the decision at the end of the meeting and said he trusted City Council to make the right decision for the residents of Delaware.
"It's been a privilege to serve this organization and to be your city manager and entrust me to carry out the strategic goals and the day-to-day operations," Brake said after the vote concluded. "Really everything is a team effort, and we have accomplished a lot, but I respect the council's decision."
He's not sure what will be next for him in his career, but said his current focus is continuing to work hard through the end of his tenure in Delaware.
"This is certainly not the outcome I had hoped for, but I remain incredibly proud of not only myself but the staff for what we've accomplished during my time," Brake said. "I am so much appreciative of the people that I've worked with. It's a pretty amazing team that we have at the City of Delaware."
Council member defends private sessions
During the Aug. 31 meeting, Rider said that while the council received questions about why the discussions regarding the decision were largely done in private sessions, he's confident it was the right thing to do for everyone involved and allowed for more candid deliberation on the subject.
"It allows for council to have candid discussions about various parts of the position," Rider said. "...It is out of outright respect for the person being discussed and it allows council to share feelings, perceptions, dialogue over various issues that aren't fully formed thoughts and really aren't for public dissemination − they are for deliberation and discussion."
Rider said in those closed discussions, all seven council members had good things to say about Brake, and the decision was ultimately very difficult to make. There are currently no details about who could hold the position next.
Dispatch reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware City Council votes not to renew city manager's contract
