As the deadline approaches for residents to submit personal assessments regarding the performance of City Manager Jay Ash, the process is entering its final stages. City Council President Leo Robinson noted that several residents have already sent letters and emails evaluating Ash’s work, which is a key component of the ongoing reappointment process. While Ash has not publicly confirmed whether he will seek another term as city manager, it is widely believed that he is interested in continuing in his role. Alongside the assessments for the city manager, the selection of members for the Charter Review Committee is also underway. Once formed, the committee will address various issues concerning how the city is governed under the current charter. A number of councilors have expressed support for making it mandatory for the city manager to reside in Chelsea. If such a measure is approved, it would prevent Ash from serving another term, as he currently does not live in the city. “I, for one, believe such a change in the charter would be a mistake,” said President Robinson. “The city is simply too small to cull from it a city manager choice up to the level of a Jay Ash,” he said. President Robinson announced that he will be holding a public hearing to discuss the city manager’s performance, during which residents will have the opportunity to speak in the city council chamber at city hall. “I urge everyone with a thought about how the city manager is performing to make their opinions known by letter, by e-mail or at the public hearing,” President Robinson said.
City manager assessments closing this week
