Middletown city council to vote on city manager’s firing after response deadline passes

Middletown City Manager Doug Adkins did not request a public hearing regarding his possible termination, so the city council will move forward with a vote on firing him on Dec. 17.

Adkins faced a Thursday deadline to submit a written response or request a public hearing. That deadline was 30 days after the city council started the process to terminate him on Nov. 5.

In the Nov. 5 preliminary resolution, council said it was commencing the process as it “no longer desires to employ Douglas Adkins as City Manager because of irreconcilable differences between Council and Mr. Adkins concerning leadership style, and these differences make his continued work as City Manager untenable.”

City spokeswoman Shelby Quinlivan said earlier this week that a request for proposals was being prepared for the new city manager search. That process cannot start until Adkins is officially terminated by council or a separation agreement is negotiated, according to city officials. The selection process for a new city manager could take six to nine months, officials said.

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