East Lansing and city manager part ways; former city official to become interim

The East Lansing City Council voted in Tuesday’s special meeting to approve a separation agreement with the city manager, Robert Belleman, after he had resigned. Belleman was not present during the closed session, which happened before the regularly scheduled meeting.

“We and former City Manager Robert Belleman have mutually agreed to part ways, and we have accepted his voluntary resignation. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” said East Lansing Mayor Erik Altmann during the meeting. Altmann said city employees and taxpayers deserve high-standard government and high-quality services.

“That is why we acted quickly to open a new chapter for our community,” he said.

Belleman, who was hired in 2023, became embroiled in controversy and faced strong criticism after accusations of sexual harassment and abusive conduct in the workplace were made by an East Lansing grants coordinator during a City Council meeting. Less than a month ago, the city released an existing independent investigation, conducted when the employee raised the concerns internally last year.

That investigation, conducted by the law firm Miller Canfield, found “insufficient evidence to support a finding of harassment or discrimination based on any legally protected characteristic or status,” but it did express concerns about Belleman’s management style and the work culture within the city administration. The investigation revealed “a lack of trust and comfort within Belleman’s leadership team” and recommended the City to remain “attentive to workplace culture concerns, especially those involving perceived inequities or favoritism.” 

The grant coordinator had accused the now-former city manager during the May 19 city council meeting, alleging that he sexually and verbally harassed her in 2025. The grant coordinator accused Belleman of creating an untenable work environment through his aggressive comments toward his employees.

Belleman, who was the Saginaw County Controller for almost 10 years, faced accusations from current and former employees of creating a toxic work environment. Belleman was eventually fired in 2023.

East Lansing’s interim fire chief, John Newman, has already been serving as city manager since May 27, when Belleman was placed on paid administrative leave.

Newman will continue in the role until June 22,  when the city’s retired Planning, Construction, and Housing director Annette Irwin will assume the role of interim city manager. Both Newman and Irwin were thanked by the council members during the public meeting.

“I think we are all acutely aware of the upheaval that comes with a leadership transition,” Altmann said, during the public meeting. “At the same time, we are equally aware that our priority moving forward is the well-being of city staff, because nothing gets done in this city without them.”