Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


Nate Geinzer has been Brighton’s city manager for a little over six years, but that is about to come to an abrupt end next week.

Geinzer attended his last regular City Council meeting last Thursday, two months after submitting his letter of resignation on March 17th. His resignation is to become effective on May 31st.

In a letter indicating he was stepping down from the manager’s position, Geinzer said, in his words, "It has become increasingly clear that my professional priorities on approach to government service no longer align with those of City Council.”

However, the only glaring differences of opinion have been between Geinzer and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Bohn, who voted no on his hiring as manager six years ago, saying he lacked managerial experience. Geinzer came to Brighton as the “assistant to the city manager” in Farmington Hills and had worked previously in Brighton, starting out as an intern while still in school.

Geinzer has been a proponent of a number of major projects during his six years, including the street millage passed by the voters in 2019, the Northwest neighborhood redevelopment project, The AMP amphitheater on the Mill Pond - which replaced an outdated gazebo and bandshell — and the North Second redevelopment project, among others.

At the meeting, council members expressed appreciation for the dedication Geinzer has given to the city for the last six years. Councilmember Susan Gardner summed up the feelings of others on the council, thanking him for the hard work and passion he has put into his job.

Council has appointed Finance Director Gretchen Gomolka to be acting city manager until a replacement for Geinzer can be found. The city charter requires that a new city manager be appointed within 90 days of the previous manager’s departure. The city has hired Walsh Municipal Services of Okemos to find a replacement for Geinzer at a fee of $14,200. Walsh’s firm quoted the lowest price among the three companies that applied for the search firm position.

In addition to being city manager, Geinzer is also the founder and CEO of Double Haul solutions LLC, a municipal and organizational consulting firm. Geinzer, who lives in Brighton with his wife and children, has a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University in public administration.