07/16/2026
Retaining Proven Leadership Is an Investment, Not an Expense
If Port Huron wants to retain an experienced, proven city manager, it needs to pay like it.
James Freed currently earns $149,415 annually. Comparable Michigan communities are paying considerably more:
- Port Huron: $149,415
(182,00 total with car allowances etc)
- Bay City: $165,000–$185,000 (current hiring range)
- Jackson: $229,075 (2024 compensation)
Port Huron is paying below Bay City's hiring range and nearly $80,000 less than Jackson, despite having a city manager with more than a decade of experience leading the city.
One comparison is especially telling.
Bay City is currently offering $165,000 to $185,000 to hire its next city manager. The commission's preferred candidate, Rik Hayman, brings valuable municipal leadership experience as a former chief of staff and senior administration officer, but he has never served as a city manager before.
Think about what that means.
A neighboring city is prepared to pay up to $185,000 for someone entering his first city manager position, while Port Huron pays $149,415 to a city manager with more than a decade of proven executive experience, a record of fiscal reform, statewide recognition, and measurable success.
If Bay City believes a first-time city manager is worth up to $185,000, what is a proven, award-winning city manager worth?
This isn't just about salary. Replacing a successful city manager is expensive. A national search, recruitment, interviews, relocation costs, onboarding, and the inevitable loss of institutional knowledge can easily cost more than investing in retaining proven leadership. More importantly, there is no guarantee a replacement would possess the same experience, relationships, or track record of success.
The better question isn't, "How much does James Freed make?"
It's, "What has Port Huron received for that investment?"
During James Freed's tenure, Port Huron has:
- ✔ Helped save taxpayers more than $88 million by restructuring retiree healthcare obligations and strengthening the city's long-term financial position.
- ✔ Helped Port Huron avoid potential bankruptcy and state-appointed emergency management through one of Michigan's most successful municipal financial restructurings.
- ✔ Balanced 10 consecutive city budgets without layoffs while maintaining essential city services.
- ✔ Championed the 2017 Parks & Recreation Millage, helping secure long-term funding for Port Huron's parks and recreational facilities.
- ✔ Overseen more than $4 million in park improvements, expanding and modernizing public spaces enjoyed by residents and visitors.
- ✔ Guided significant downtown revitalization, waterfront improvements, neighborhood investments, and infrastructure projects that continue to reshape the city.
- ✔ Helped foster partnerships with organizations like the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, bringing additional investment into community projects.
- ✔ Helped attract millions of dollars in private investment, including major industrial expansions expected to create new jobs and strengthen Port Huron's economy.
- ✔ Consistently supported partnerships with St. Clair County Community College (SC4), recognizing its nearly $150 million annual economic impact and working alongside the college on projects that strengthen downtown and the waterfront.
- ✔ Earned the 2022 Michigan Municipal Executive Association Community Leadership Award, recognizing his leadership in transforming Port Huron's financial future.
These accomplishments didn't happen by accident. They are the result of years of experience, strategic planning, difficult decisions, and a long-term vision for Port Huron. They represent measurable outcomes; not campaign promises or opinions.
Public service comes with criticism. City managers are often the face of difficult decisions, and those decisions don't always make everyone happy. Yet compensation should be based on measurable performance, financial results, leadership, and the long-term health of the community; not on who has the loudest voice on social media.
The reality is that experienced city managers are in demand. Communities across Michigan are offering higher salaries to attract qualified leaders. If Port Huron loses James Freed, the city won't simply be replacing an employee; it will be trying to replace years of experience, established relationships, institutional knowledge, and a proven record of delivering results.
The real question is simple:
Can Port Huron realistically recruit someone with James Freed's experience, leadership, and record of success for less than what comparable communities are already offering?
Given today's municipal executive market, the answer is likely no.
The cost of replacing proven leadership is almost always greater than the cost of retaining it.
Finally, I want to speak personally.
For years, we've heard the criticism online. We see the attacks, the accusations, and the negativity. But social media rarely reflects the views of an entire community. In my experience, many residents appreciate what James Freed has done for Port Huron... they simply aren't as vocal as the small group that continually criticizes him.
I'm choosing to be one of the people who speaks up.
James has been my next-door neighbor for more than a decade. I've watched him take phone calls long after most people have gone home from work. I've seen firsthand how deeply he cares about this city and the people in it. I've also seen the husband and father behind the title.
Since my husband Todd passed away in 2018, there has been one person outside of my own sons who has consistently stepped into the gap when my family needed help. That person is James Freed. He has been there for me and for my children without seeking recognition or expecting anything in return.
That doesn't mean everyone has to agree with every decision he makes as city manager. Healthy disagreement is part of public service. But after watching his commitment to this community for years, I cannot stay silent while I watch his character be reduced to labels like "money hungry."
People are free to disagree with policies. That's part of living in a democracy. But character matters, too. After more than a decade of watching James Freed lead this city and knowing the man behind the title, I believe Port Huron has something many communities are still searching for: a proven leader who genuinely loves this city. Those kinds of leaders are hard to find and even harder to replace.
I stand with James Freed. I stand with his family. And I believe Port Huron is fortunate to have a city manager who has dedicated so much of his life to serving this community. They are a beautiful family. I see it every single day. Everyone needs to stop the threats and attacks and start talking about real facts... Not made up crazy points of view posts from negative voices who never have lifted a finger to help a soul.
