Brake a finalist for Michigan job, says interest is ‘a pull, not a push’

MORGANTOWN — Just days past his three-year anniversary as Morgantown City Manager, Paul Brake confirmed on Wednesday that he is one of five finalists for the same position in Royal Oak, Mich., a Detroit suburb with a population of about 59,000.

Brake said he will interview Saturday and should know relatively soon thereafter if he made the cut for another round of interviews to be held March 12.

He said he notified members of Morgantown City Council of his interest in the position late last week and city directors on Monday.

“When they reached out to me, I spoke to each of them [councilors] individually, so this will not be a surprise. I told the department directors on Monday,” Brake said. “I don’t like surprising people just like I don’t like surprises. This will not be a surprise.”

Brake came to Morgantown from Laingsburg, Mich. and took over as Morgantown’s city manager on Feb. 8, 2017. Prior to that, the majority of his work history was established in the state of Michigan.

He said the decision to apply for the Royal Oak job was about family and the reputation of that community, and not a desire to get out of Morgantown.

“Oh no. It’s a pull, not a push,” Brake said. “It’s a unique opportunity. This community is really on the forefront and is really a leader. There are similarities to Morgantown in that regard … I’m looking from the perspective of career and from a family perspective. That’s what draws me. It’s not a case of being anxious to leave Morgantown. I remain committed to this council and the organization.”

He went on to say that he has familiarity with Royal Oak from a previous private sector job and notes it is a substantially larger city in terms of population, municipal budget and work force, which he put at about 500 employees.

“At this point, it’s just an interview. It’s not a case where I’m definitely leaving. I’m very much committed to the organization, but sometimes these opportunities present themselves,” Brake said.

In the event he gets the job, Brake said he’s confident the right people are in place to make a seamless transition.

“I’m very proud of the people I’ve promoted and the people I’ve brought in. if it becomes necessary to have them take over the reigns on a temporary basis until a successor is named, but we’re not anywhere near that point,” Brake said. “Well see what happens.”

According to the Royal Oak Tribune, there were originally 114 applicants for the position.