Commissioners Approve Contract For New TC Manager

It's official: Traverse City's new city manager is Martin Colburn. Traverse City commissioners voted 7-0 at a special meeting yesterday to execute an employment contract with Mason City Administrator Martin Colburn. His first day on the job, however, is still unknown.

While Colburn's contract was originally scheduled to be on the commission's June 1 agenda, the board moved up its vote so that Colburn could go before the Mason City Council at its June 1 meeting to tender his resignation and discuss his timeline for departure. Colburn's Mason contract requires 60 days' notice, but Colburn told TC commissioners he expects his board will be amenable to him departing sooner. TC commissioners have stated they'd like Colburn in place by the end of June.

During the meeting, commissioners also expressed a desire to meet with Colburn individually soon after his arrival to go over goals and priorities for the first few months.

Colburn's Traverse City contract includes a starting salary of $105,000, with increases to $110,000 in 2016 and $115,000 in 2017 pending satisfactory performance reviews. Other benefits including a $5,000 relocation reimbursement, three weeks' vacation, health insurance and a $250 per month car allowance.