Since-deleted report claims Brian Platt is Kansas City’s next city manager
Brian Platt, a top official in Jersey City, New Jersey, government, may be Kansas City’s next city manager, according to a since-deleted article.
The Jersey City Times posted an article Tuesday saying Platt had accepted the job, sparking frustration among some City Council members.
Under the city’s charter, the mayor must submit a recommendation for city manager to be approved by the council — something Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office noted in a statement Tuesday night that he had yet to do.
In an email early Wednesday morning, Aaron Morrill, who is listed as the publisher and acting editor-in-chief of the Jersey City Times, said the article was taken down because the organization “may have received inaccurate information from two sources.”
“We took the post down as soon as the reliability of the information came into question,” Morrill said. “We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”
One council member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Star that the mayor’s office called Tuesday after the article published and confirmed Lucas would introduce legislation to recommend Platt.
In a statement Tuesday night, the mayor’s communications director, Morgan Said, said Lucas and council had gone through an “exhaustive process” to find a new city manager, and Lucas met with each City Council member after the four city manager finalists interviewed in Kansas City this fall.
“No formal job offer is extended and presumably no candidate is separated from their place of employment until a contract has been signed,” Said said. “The Mayor has not formally extended a city manager recommendation to the City Council. The Mayor continues to do outreach to Council members and stakeholders alike.”
The article upset Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, 3rd District, who said on Twitter that several council members felt “blindsided.”
“People have to be able to trust the process (and) depend on elected officials to follow the rules,” Robinson said. “Every council member has the right to vote before an offer of employment is made.”
As business administrator, Platt serves in a role similar to city manager but instead of reporting directly to the city council he reports to the mayor. Before that, Platt was Jersey City’s first chief innovation officer. Prior to his public service, he worked for McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm. Jersey City has a population of over 265,000.
Platt would replace Earnest Rouse, who has been serving as acting city manager since Troy Schulte stepped down late last year.
The other finalists for the job were Milton Dohoney of Phoenix; Kevin Jackson of Long Beach, California; and Janice Allen Jackson of Augusta, Georgia.
Platt did not return a voicemail or email seeking comment Tuesday.
The Star’s Steve Vockrodt contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 8:49 AM.
