Mayor Dave Bing has another unwelcome situation to handle: A vacancy at the top of his executive team.
Chris Brown resigned Friday after 10 months as Detroit's chief operating officer, WXYZ and WDIV report. "It's a big loss for an administration which has had a hard time keeping talent in place," says Mara MacDonald of WDIV.
Brown reportedly found a job in another state, according to each station's sources. Here's the impact of this abrupt departure, as framed by Julie Banovic of WXYZ:
Brown was the mayor’s top man. He was in charge of the Department of Public Lighting and worked to solve the city’s lighting issues. He was also in charge of several other critical departments like transportation, the planning and facilities group and the Detroit Water & Sewage Department.
He also played a key role in helping Mayor Dave Bing with the city’s finances and implementing the consent agreement.
Brown had been retired but agreed to come to work for Bing to oversee several projects.
Now, as Local 4 reporter MacDonald notes, "Jack Martin, the city's CFO, and Chief of Staff Kirk Lewis will have more on their own plates without Brown on the team."
