The Erie Town Council in a divided vote has decided to fire Malcolm Fleming, who held the town manager position since 2019.
After a heated and public debate among council members during a special meeting Tuesday evening, the 4-3 vote terminated Fleming’s contract, effective immediately. The decision comes after a Feb. 10 meeting, when Erie Mayor Andrew Moore said he had “concluded that it is time for a change at the top” and asked the council to consider making the change to town leadership.
The town manager serves as the chief administrative officer for Erie, according to the town’s charter, which says the manager is to be appointed by a majority vote of the Town Council members then in office.
The charter also says the Town Council may terminate the employment of the town manager by a majority vote “at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose and subject to the town manager’s employment agreement, if any.” The action of the council in removing the town manager “shall be final,” the charter adds.
The council was divided on the matter, with Councilmembers Emily Baer, Dan Hoback and Anil Pesaramelli voting against Fleming’s termination. Moore, along with Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell and Councilmembers John Mortellaro and Brian O’Connor, voted in favor.
Tuesday’s discussion about the matter had been scheduled as an executive session, a type of meeting that is closed to the public. But entering an executive session is based on the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Town Council present, according to the town charter, and with Baer, Hoback and Pesaramelli voting against the motion to enter executive session Tuesday night, the conversation about Fleming’s contract was held in public.
This story will be updated.