Despite community outrage, Brooklyn Center council fires city manager

Reggie Edwards took over as Brooklyn Center’s city manager on the heels of the 2021 police killing of Daunte Wright that sparked widespread outrage and protests.

Several residents, who packed the City Council chambers on Dec. 19, pointed to the strides Edwards has made for the city since, including implementing police reforms and equity initiatives. They pleaded with the council to keep the city manager in his role.

But during a contentious meeting, on a 3-2 vote, the City Council fired Edwards, effective immediately. Council Members Laurie Ann Moore, Kris Lawrence-Anderson and Dan Jerzak, who voted to terminate the city manager’s contract, did not provide a clear explanation for their decision during the meeting.

The sudden firing is the latest jolt for the northern suburb where a divided City Council has wrestled with questions over policing and scaled back reforms in sometimes heated meetings. A new conservative council majority also has taken a strict look at city finances, shutting down one of two municipal liquor stores and questioning the profitability of the historic Heritage Center convention complex. The council pushed for a lower tax levy increase this year, at 4.8%, that resulted in some layoffs and cuts.

Mayor April Graves, who voted against Edwards’ firing, said at the meeting, “I think the public deserves to know your reasoning, why you’re choosing to terminate.”

“I do not have to give a reason,” Moore replied. Lawrence-Anderson also declined to explain.

In an email on Dec. 22, Moore told the Minnesota Star Tribune: “I made the decision to not extend Dr. Edwards employee agreement to move the City of Brooklyn Center in a new, sustainable direction. I represent 37,782 residents and I intend to represent them ALL going forward.”

Jerzak declined to comment. Lawrence-Anderson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Graves said in an interview on Dec. 22 that she feels the firing is “part of a larger pushback from some of the structural and cultural changes we’ve been trying to implement since Daunte Wright was killed. That’s my perspective.”

Edwards recently received his performance evaluation, where he exceeded expectations, several officials said.

The city manager is Brooklyn Center’s highest-ranking role overseeing all city departments, such as police and public works.

“It pains me to think that the momentum we have worked diligently to build — the vision of a new, empowered Brooklyn Center — may be dwarfed by short-sightedness and divisiveness,” Edwards said after the vote.

Edwards could not be reached for comment on Dec. 22.

Council Member Teneshia Kragness, who voted against firing Edwards, said at the meeting that during a previous closed-door session her fellow council members discussed terminating the city manager contract. She voiced concern that Moore had questioned Edwards’ recent firing of the finance director and worried that firing Edwards could be viewed as retaliation.

The mayor confirmed Kragness’ account of that closed meeting.

Moore, in an email, said her decision had “absolutely nothing” to do with the finance director being fired.

Edwards and elected officials have not said why the finance director was removed.

Residents spoke in support of Edwards, pointing to his record helping the city navigate the aftermath of Wright’s killing, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. They said he launched new community engagement initiatives that sparked needed conversations on housing, health and equity.

They applauded his work helping to create a community response team of medical professionals and social workers to respond to mental health- or disability-related calls.

And they pointed out that he is one of a small number of Black city managers, and top city leaders with a doctorate, in the country.

“Dr. Edwards is one of the most qualified people to be in this seat,” said Marquita Butler, a former council member. “And unfortunately what I saw in my time is that education didn’t matter.”

She said Brooklyn Center is seeing “white fragility and racism, instead of coming together and moving the community forward.”

Meanwhile, the mayor countered that over the past year she has noticed a “pattern of heightened and repetitive scrutiny toward specific staff.” If the council’s oversight of city departments is misapplied, Graves said, “it undermines the trust and stabilization within the larger organization.”

With Edwards no longer leading the city, Graves said Deputy City Manager Daren Nyquist will fill the role in the interim.