The Chelsea City Council voted unanimously to terminate City Manager Elle Cole for cause, following a closed session during a special meeting Thursday night.
The meeting was posted Aug. 26 by City Clerk Lyn Sebestyen, citing MCL 15.268(1)(a) of the Michigan Open Meetings Act, which allows closed sessions “to consider the dismissal, suspension, or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, or to consider a periodic personnel evaluation of, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual agent, if the named individual requests a closed hearing.”
The special meeting on Thursday began with a period of public comment, during which seven residents spoke, many stating their positive experiences working with the city manager.
The council then entered into the closed session for discussion.
Returning to open session, Council Member Eric Keaton moved “to adopt the resolution to terminate, remove the city manager for cause.” The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote.
Mayor Kate Henson called it a difficult decision for those who had worked closely with Cole.
“For the relationships you all have with her, having worked so closely with her, it’s not just professional, it’s personal as well,” Henson said. “This was not an easy decision.”
Council Member Jacquelyn Bullerman said she voted for termination “for cause” rather than “no cause” because residents deserved some explanation, but made clear the council would not be detailing the specific causes behind the decision.
“You’re not going to get the level of detail that I’m sure you’re seeking,” Bullerman said. “But just know that’s the reason we did for cause, so you’ve got a little transparency.”
Keaton added, “It is never an easy thing to terminate an employee. We thought about this a long time, but based on the causes that we saw, it needed to be addressed, and this was the only way we could address it.”
The council did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision.
Following the termination vote, Keaton moved to retain Management Advisory Group for interim city management services for up to one year. That motion also passed unanimously.
Cole began as Chelsea’s city manager Feb. 10, 2026, following a search that drew more than 30 applicants. Since former City Manager John Hanifan retired in 2021, Chelsea has had eight interim and full-time city managers, including Amanda Garber, Roy Atkinson, Adrianna Jordan, Elke Doom, Martin Colburn, Chief Kevin Kayzak, Marc Thompson, and Elle Cole.
