With unanimous City Council, Earnest Rouse becomes Kansas City’s acting city manager
Members of the Kansas City City Council on Thursday voted unanimously to approve Mayor Quinton Lucas’ appointment of Earnest Rouse to the role of acting city manager.
Rouse, 59, succeeds Troy Schulte, who held the post for 10 years and announced in September that he would step down. He was expected to stay until the end of his current contract, Feb. 29, but he left early and on Monday begins a new role as Jackson County administrator.
Prior to his appointment, Rouse served as an assistant city manager and director of general services. Though he’ll likely fill the role for several months, Rouse said he doesn’t anticipate being a candidate for the permanent city manager position.
Rouse said delivering basic city services will be his priority. The city came under fire earlier this year over complaints about potholes and unplowed streets.
“Clearly answering 311 calls, picking up trash, cleaning streets, plowing snow — that’s always going to be a priority,” Rouse said. “We need to do that at a very high level, and I’m going to do that as well as try and keep city government running very smoothly.”
Lucas appointed himself, Schulte, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McManus and Madeleine McDonough, managing partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, to a search committee to find Schulte’s permanent replacement. The group will work with a headhunting firm.
