BOYNE CITY — The Boyne City City Commission officially hired former Elk Rapids Village Manager John Matthews as its interim city manager following a 3-1 vote at a special meeting on May 29.
Commissioners George Lasater, Marty Moody and Bob Farrell voted in favor, while commissioner Sandy Pritchard cast the lone dissenting vote.
Matthews stepped into the role in early June and has been on the job for several weeks now. He was one of three finalists interviewed during a second round of public interviews on May 21. With a background that includes leadership roles in municipal government, international business and community development, Matthews quickly rose to the top of the commission’s shortlist.
Since taking over, he has met with department heads, held weekly staff meetings and begun settling into the role.
“He’s been reaching out to me consistently,” said Mayor Tim Nemecek. “He’s been asking questions, verifying information and making sure he’s headed in the right direction. I think the longer he’s here, the more comfortable and self-sufficient he’ll become.”
Commissioner Marty Moody echoed that sentiment during a recent interview.
“He’s only been there for two weeks. I mean, call me in a month, and maybe I’ll tell you more, but so far he’s hit the ground running, and it’s been all positive.”
Still, not all commissioners were convinced. Pritchard raised concerns during the May 29 meeting, questioning the circumstances surrounding his February 2025 resignation from Elk Rapids — just months into a three-year agreement signed in July 2024.
“What was the succinct reason for stepping down from that position?” Pritchard asked Matthews during that meeting.
Matthews responded, “The succinct reason is the outgoing council members … they didn’t like the fact that they lost. They didn’t like the fact that things were moving forward. And there’s been a lot of backbiting that was going on there. And that’s not the way I operate. I like to have the hard conversations up front, be fully transparent.”
He added that his decision to leave was based on preserving stability in Elk Rapids.
“I made a decision to leave to keep everything calm within the community … the entire community is really upset that I left, so I have full community support over there. I’m still getting calls of support.”
When Pritchard pressed further, Matthews said the outgoing council members “were just working against any of the massive projects that are going on,” and that he stepped aside so the projects could move forward more smoothly without his leadership becoming a flashpoint.
“You can write it out there as ‘personal reasons’ if you would like,” he said. “But I decided it was the right thing to do, so I resigned.”
In a June 3 post shared on the city’s Facebook page, Matthews was quoted speaking about his path to public service.
“I’m a resident of Elk Rapids, where I’ve lived for many years with my family,” Matthews said. “I served in the U.S. Air Force, and later had a career in international business that allowed me to travel extensively. But no matter where I went, my heart was always in Michigan.”
When asked about his approach to working with community stakeholders and local organizations, Matthews emphasized unity.
“Collaboration is key,” he said. “I’ve always made it a priority to stay connected with local leaders, nonprofits and civic groups. Whether we’re working on infrastructure improvements or supporting economic development, it’s about bringing people together and making sure our communities aren’t just preserved — but positioned to succeed well into the future.”
Matthews is Boyne City’s first interim manager since the commission voted on March 11 to terminate longtime city manager Michael Cain after 22 years in the position, citing concerns about performance and trust.
According to city records, Matthews is earning $3,200 per week under the terms of the interim agreement.
Meanwhile, the search for a permanent city manager is well underway. The city has hired the Pivot Group, a municipal executive recruitment firm, to assist with the process. A job posting went live through the Michigan Municipal League on June 9, with applications accepted until 9 p.m. on June 30.
“We’ve already received five applicants,” Nemecek said, adding that Pivot Group’s lead consultant, James Freed, is conducting early screenings and outreach.
The city commission is expected to begin reviewing candidates in July. In the meantime, Nemecek said Matthews is helping bring stability to city hall.
“It’s been a lot of onboarding the last two weeks,” he said. “But I’m already starting to unplug a bit, and that’s a good sign.”
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 and adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Boyne City hires interim city manager as search for permanent leader continues
Reporting by Annie Doyle, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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