Sault Ste. Marie is poised to hire Patrick Reagan as its new city manager pending negotiations and other final steps.
The Sault Ste. Marie City Commission unanimously approved a resolution to extend Reagan a final offer of employment pending a deeper background and reference check during a special session on Thursday, June 4. A second resolution gave Mayor Don Gerrie the ability to enter into final negotiations with Reagan for the position.
The city’s three final candidates, which also included Gregory Elliott and Wayne Schmidt, were involved in a 24-hour “community tour” June 3-4, according to Gerrie. That included meeting with panels of both city administrators and community members to provide the commission with a good perspective. They also took a tour of the city with Sault Ste. Marie Fire Chief Ed Miller.
“This is a very transparent process,” Gerrie said before the final vote. “We wanted to get input from a number of people. A lot of (what goes into the commission’s recommendation) is where there is a personality fit.”
Gerrie hoped to hire a city manager who displayed a commitment to the city’s values and had developed a good working knowledge of the community. While Gerrie and commission members would prefer to hire a city manager that would remain in the position for an extended period of time, he didn’t want to place any expectations on that. His remarks and those of other commissioners on Thursday indicated a collective confidence in the selection of Reagan.
City managers typically average four to five years at their job before retiring or moving onto other positions, Gerrie added.
“We (were) looking for someone who’s up for making Sault Ste. Marie a better place to live,” said Gerrie, calling the role of city manager a “lifestyle choice” because the individual is so involved in day-to-day matters. “We want whoever we select to be a good steward of both time and money.”
The Michigan Municipal League, hired by the city to identify candidates for the open manager position, will be responsible for conducting a deeper background check before a final offer is made.
“We’re doing our due diligence,” Gerrie said.
Gerrie added that the city received 14 applications for the position, a response that exceeded expectations and reflected growing interest in the community.
Former city manager Brian Chapman resigned in September 2025 after six years in the role. The search began following Chapman’s resignation. Since then, deputy city manager Robin Troyer has served as interim city manager while continuing her duties as city clerk and human resources director. Commissioners unanimously selected Troyer to lead day-to-day operations during the transition, citing her extensive institutional knowledge and ability to provide continuity.
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sault City Commission selects final candidate for city manager
Reporting by M. Alan Scott, Sault Ste. Marie News / The Sault News
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By M. Alan Scott, Sault Ste. Marie News | USA TODAY Network
