Belleville to seek new city manager

Interim Belleville City Manager Tracey Schultz Kobylarz will be leaving the city and the city will be looking for a new city manager.
Mayor Kerreen Conley announced this at the Jan. 20 Zoom meeting of the Downtown Development Authority.
“She’s looking forward to retirement and she’ll be gone before the next DDA meeting” on Feb. 17, Mayor Conley said.
Kobylarz said she was sorry she never had the opportunity to meet DDA members face to face. She started almost a year ago and the DDA meetings have all been Zoom.
She said when she came the city was working on the budget, facing the general election, had a clerk with one foot out the door, and didn’t have a police chief.
“The one person who was consistent was Carol [Thompson] of the DDA,” Kobylarz said to the DDA. “I appreciate her friendship and direction … You have a lot of challenges. Good luck to all of you and thank you again.”
Kobylarz was longtime supervisor of Redford Township and was serving her 12th year in that position when she was hired Feb. 10, 2020 for a six-month interim position as Belleville City Manager at an annual salary of $80,000. Later, her position was extended for another six months.
On Monday, Kobylarz said she believes she is leaving Feb. 13. “I committed to six months and stayed a year,” she said.
At Monday’s Belleville City Council meeting, Mayor Conley said the position was posted on Jan. 15 and resumes have started to come in. She said the position will be posted until filled.