The council approved the contract during a June 6 meeting. Cole served in a temporary capacity for 30 days as the interim city manager since his appointment on May 3, when former City Manager Charles “Tink” Jackson was fired from his post following an investigation conducted by city-hired law firm DeDe Church & Associates.
According to the city secretary’s office, Mayor Robin Elackatt voted in favor of the contract along with council members Lynn Clouser, Anthony Maroulis and Floyd Emery. Council members Vashaundra Edwards, Monica Riley and Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Boney voted against the contract.
No information on how Cole’s salary will be affected by the city's interim city manager contract was available by press time. However, when the City Council voted to make Cole the city’s temporary interim city manager on May 3, they approved a salary increase of 20%.
With the approved contract, Cole will serve as the interim city manager “until a permanent city manager is hired,” the council said during the June 6 meeting.
Support on Cole’s appointment as interim city manager was divided. For example, Vashaundra Edwards, council member at large for Position 1, expressed doubt about Cole’s qualifications.
“I do want to make it clear that we’re getting ready to continue the contract for Mr. Sedrick Cole, and he doesn’t have the experience needed, and he doesn’t have the certifications needed for a city manager,” Edwards said during the June 6 meeting. “... I feel we should move forward with someone who actually has run a city and has that experience, not doing it just because he was appointed and it fell in his lap due to our former city manager leaving.”
Cole was first appointed to serve as acting city manager in early April when Jackson was placed on administrative leave.
Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Boney also expressed concern about appointing Cole to the position for a longer timespan.
“I feel like it’s only fair for everyone involved to make sure we have someone in place that can deal with the day-to-day challenges that may arise as it relates to running a city government, particularly one like Missouri City, considering the challenges we’ve had in the past,” Boney said during the meeting. “... It’s one thing to give someone a chance to do certain things, but I don’t want to take a chance on what may happen here in the city of Missouri City.”
On May 3, the council voted 6-1 to give Cole authorization to use executive recruitment firm GovHRUSA to recruit an interim city manager to fill the gap once Cole’s 30 days as interim city manager were complete. Separately, the City Council voted 7-0 to authorize Cole to use the recruitment firm to search for a new, more permanent city manager.
