New Leadership Takes Helm

The Kalamazoo City Commission officially welcomed Malcolm Hankins as the city's new city manager during Monday's meeting, marking a significant shift from internal to external leadership.

Hankins was sworn in alongside Mayor David Anderson at the ceremony. The commission voted 6-1 earlier in the year to extend the offer for the position to Hankins after months of national recruitment and public engagement.

After months of national recruitment and public engagement, the Kalamazoo City Commission voted 6-1 Monday night to extend the offer for city manager to Malcolm Hankins, marking a shift to external leadership as the city enters a new phase.

The vote represented a departure from the previous approach of recruiting internally, signaling the city is entering a new phase under new management.

Community Concerns Raised

The swearing-in ceremony came after a lengthy five-hour meeting where community members raised various concerns about the city's direction. Topics included asylum policies, budget matters, safe streets initiatives, and the All Money Hall project.