Chelsea Council Votes in New City Manager

After interviewing three candidates for the position, Chelsea City Council voted to offer the role of City Manager to Elle Cole. This decision follows the departure of previous city manager Marty Colburn, who was placed on “administrative leave, not expected to return” on June 24, 2025, according to a statement released by council last year.

“The perception from citizens is there’s been a lot of turnover, change, things being tumultuous,” council member George Merkel said during the interview process. “And having a city manager that can come in and be a calming, stabilizing force in the city is a really important thing, I think, especially functionally, but also just as a community perception that people know that they’re being taken care of.”

The interviews, which lasted an hour each and were conducted during a special council meeting on Jan. 8, were followed by a brief discussion period before voting. During Elle Cole’s time with council, she emphasized that the city had many strengths that she had been witness to during her tour of the town and its offices.

“Even if something might not be in their job description, it was very clear to me, and not just in the department meeting, but every place that I went today, every single employee talked about pitching in and helping out wherever they could,” Cole said. “And it really resonated with me, because the way I see my leadership is making sure every day, everywhere I go, I’m adding value, and I think that’s how your team operates here. And on top of it, they’re just incredibly competent and a great group to be with.”

After the interviews concluded, several council members Keaton, Merkel and Mayor Kate Henson stated their support for Cole.

“She’s got relationships in the county that gives her a head start, but she also has a lot of experience with HR, IT and finance, which are three items that right now we’re lacking,” Keaton said.

Votes were cast anonymously, and Elle Cole was announced as the lead candidate once they were counted. Council unanimously passed a motion to extend Cole a conditional job offer, dependent on a routine background check.