Tuesday’s 8-3 County Board of Commissioners vote to dismiss Robert Belleman, in his 11h year as controller, represents a local landmark.
Never before in Saginaw County history has a top public official with more than a decade of experience been handed their walking papers.
Several county officials, including Prosecutor John McColgan and Clerk Vanessa Guerra, spoke of Belleman as an overbearing manager who was heavy-handed and excessive in criticism. The term “toxic work environment” was deployed.
For comparison’s sake, the 1977 City Council did not dismiss Manager Ed Potthoff after 16 years, but he was pressured to resign. An independent council majority took over from the business interests and asserted that while Potthoff was popular with employees, he too often was rude and dismissive with the public. Nonetheless, leaders still named the sprawling riverfront park and walking trail in his honor.
Foster Gibbs also was not dismissed, but some Saginaw Board of Education trustees were not displeased when he retired in 2001 after 42 years in the school district, the final 23 as superintendent. His rep for harshness with public critics was similar to Potthoff’s, although he was less popular with employees. Even so, district headquarters on Millard at South Warren now bears Dr. Gibbs’ moniker.
Meanwhile, Deborah Kimble had served only two years as city manager in August 2004 when the City Council dismissed her in a post-midnight 5-4 vote, later revealed on grounds that she had miscalculated budget income tax revenue estimates, although no more than managers past and to follow. Wilmer Jones Ham, mayor at the time, and Amos O’Neal, who went on to serve on the County Board and now as state rep, within a week expressed regrets for their votes and offered to rescind, but Kimble declined to return.
Belleman would need a similar recanting to regain his job. First-year Commissioner Lisa Coney cast the deciding eighth vote for dismissal, making a switch after supporting Belleman earlier in the meeting. A two-thirds majority was required, and so with the 7-4 vote prior to Coney’s change of heart Belleman would have kept his job, at least for now, likely with a paid leave during an internal investigation.
Saginaw’s city contingent was divided. Michael Webster was in favor of dismissing Belleman, joining Coney on the final vote, while Sheldon “Snap” Matthews and Gerald Little backed keeping the controller. Retired 20-year former commissioner and chairman Carl Ruth spoke from the audience in favor of Belleman, as did current Mayor Brenda Moore and City Manager Tim Morales.
Morales, whose city tenure has closely matched that of Belleman at the county, was in effect returning a favor. Belleman on March 6 spoke to the City Council in support of Morales’ job performance, along with Matthews, Herb Spence III of Spence Bros., and real estate developer Dr. Sam Shaheen. Onlookers aired confusion, along with Morales himself, because no council member had expressed public misgivings.
Belleman is 57 years old. He was Bay City’s city manager for 11 years before he took the Saginaw County post in 2012.
