ST. MARYS — John Holman’s time as St. Marys city manager is over.
The St. Marys City Council voted at Monday’s meeting to place Holman on a 30-day administrative leave and terminate his employment agreement without cause, effective on Nov. 6.
City council members met in closed executive session at St. Marys City Hall until midnight before making the decision to fire Holman, who was hired in 2014.
City Councilman Jim Goodman said the unanimous decision was not difficult “for some council members,” but he said he’d rather not get into specifics about why Holman was fired.
“It was agreed the management style doesn’t meet the needs of the city,” Goodman said.
Holman, a retired Navy captain, resigned as the Springettsbury Township, Pa., manager to accept the job in St. Marys. His hands-on management style, delays in repairs to the boat ramp downtown and the length of time for renovations on the city waterfront made Holman a target for recent criticism.
Holman did not return a phone message Tuesday for comment.
According to a press release by the city, an announcement to name an interim city manager will be made at a later date. Recruitment for a new city manager will begin immediately.
Goodman said he’d like the next city manager to have a professional background with a good academic credentials. The next manager will also need to be a team builder willing to be surrounded by the best people for the job, he said.