Michael Carter, the mayor’s choice for new chief administrative officer, was expected in City Hall Monday night for vetting by city lawmakers — a meeting he said he didn’t know about.
“I wish someone had sent me an email,” said Carter, reached by phone in Washington D.C.
He never made it to Monday’s 7 p.m. meeting of the Board of Alders Aldermanic Affairs Committee, where his name was on the top of the agenda.
Under a recent change to the city charter, several top mayoral appointees are subject to confirmation by the Board of Alders. The chief administrative officer — the person in charge of the day-to-day operation of city services — is one of those appointees, and a visit to the Aldermanic Affairs Committee is the first step in the confirmation process.
“I won’t be there until April 7,” Carter said. He said he’ll start work that day, the first Monday in April. He said he has “a sick uncle and some other things to take care of here.”
Carter said he’s been communicating with the mayor’s office but hasn’t been in touch with anyone from the Board of Alders.
The charter allows Carter to start work before alder confirmation or denial. Alders are required to act within 30 of the submission of the nomination, which happened on March 3. If alders don’t act within 60 days, Carter would be approved by default.