Darnell Earley facts for kids

Darnell Earley is an American expert in managing public services and cities. He has worked as a city manager in Saginaw, Michigan. He also served as an emergency manager for Flint, Michigan. An emergency manager is someone appointed by the state to take over a city or school district when it has big money problems.

Earley was also a temporary mayor of Flint. This happened after the previous mayor, Woodrow Stanley, was removed from office by a special vote. Later, Earley became the emergency manager for the Detroit Public Schools system in January 2015. He left that job in February 2016. He faced accusations related to his work in Flint, but these accusations were later dismissed.

Early Life and Education

Darnell Earley was born to James and Earlie Mae Earley. He was one of nine children in his family. He grew up in a place called Muskegon Heights, Michigan.

Earley finished high school at Muskegon Heights High School in 1969. He then went to Muskegon Community College and earned a degree in 1975. He continued his studies at Grand Valley State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Later, he received a Master of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University. This degree helps people learn how to manage public organizations.

Darnell Earley's Career Journey

Starting His Career in Public Service

From 1978 to 1981, Earley worked as a director for community development. This was at the Urban League of Greater Muskegon. After that, he worked for Muskegon County. He was an assistant to the county administrator until 1986.

In 1985, Earley became the township manager in Buena Vista Charter Township. This township is in Saginaw County. He then worked for the Michigan House of Representatives. He was the director of research and public policy for the House Democratic Caucus from 1988 to 1992. From 1993 to 2001, Earley was the budget director for Ingham County.

Working in Flint and Saginaw

In April 2001, Earley was chosen to be the city administrator of Flint, Michigan. After Mayor Woodrow Stanley was removed, Earley became the temporary mayor of Flint. He served from March 5 to August 6, 2002. He was the fourth African-American to hold this position. During part of his time as mayor, the city also had an emergency financial manager named Edward J. Kurtz. Earley continued as city administrator until July 2004.

In August 2004, Earley moved to the City of Saginaw. He became the deputy city manager there. In September 2005, he was appointed as the interim city manager of Saginaw. By June 2006, he became the official city manager. He stayed in this role until 2013.

Earley was paid $110,000 each year for his work in Saginaw. In 2011, the city council added a special agreement to his contract. This agreement said he would receive lifetime health insurance and life insurance benefits. In 2015, a city councilman suggested taking away this benefit. He felt it was too much for only six years of work.

On May 3, 2005, Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Earley to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. His term ended on December 31, 2008. Later, on September 30, 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder chose Earley to be part of a team. This team was created to review the financial situation of City of Flint.

Emergency Manager Roles

Earley continued working for the City of Saginaw until October 2013. At that time, he was appointed as the emergency manager (EM) for Flint. He took over from Michael Brown. Earley served as Flint's EM from September 2013 until January 2015.

While Earley was the emergency manager, Flint stopped getting its water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Instead, the city decided to join a new regional water group called the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA). The decision to join the KWA was made before Earley's time, under a previous emergency manager.

On April 25, 2014, Flint started getting its water from the Flint River. This decision led to problems with the city's water, which became known as the Flint water crisis. The water became unsafe for people to drink. Some people believe that joining the KWA led to using the Flint River water. Others say that choosing to leave the Detroit water system was separate from the decision to use the Flint River temporarily.

In October 2015, Earley stated that he was not responsible for the decision to use the Flint River water. He said that the choice was made before he became the emergency manager. He felt it was not his place to change decisions made before his appointment.

Earley was appointed as the emergency manager for Detroit Public Schools on January 13, 2015. He was the fourth emergency manager for the city's schools in six years. When he started, the school system had a large money shortage. It also had fewer students enrolling. Some people, including the state Democratic Party, asked for Earley to be removed from this job in October 2015. They pointed to his time in Flint and the water problems there.

Earley often had disagreements with the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) union. In late 2015 and early 2016, teachers organized "sickouts." This meant teachers did not come to work to protest conditions. Earley said these actions were wrong and against the rules. In January 2016, the DFT sued the Detroit Public Schools. They said that the schools and Darnell Earley had allowed conditions to become unsafe. The teachers asked a judge to remove Earley as emergency manager.

Earley announced he would resign on February 2, 2016. His resignation became official on February 29. This happened after news reports suggested that incorrect information was sent to the state. The reports claimed more high-paying jobs had been removed than actually were. Jim Ananich, a state senator from Flint, said Earley needed to leave for the sake of the children. The teachers' union was happy about Earley's resignation. They said he had ignored the unsafe conditions in schools.

In November 2015, Earley was one of fourteen officials named in a class action lawsuit. This lawsuit was filed by Flint residents in federal court. A class action lawsuit is when a group of people sue someone together. The lawsuit claimed that officials ignored clear signs that the water was unsafe. It said that officials exposed residents to very harmful water for over 18 months. Along with Earley, Governor Snyder and others were named in the lawsuit.

In early February 2016, a committee from the United States House of Representatives asked Earley to testify. They wanted him to speak about the situation in Flint. However, Earley's lawyer said he could not appear.

In December 2016, Michigan's attorney general announced accusations against Earley. These were related to his role in the Flint water crisis. He was formally accused on December 21, 2016. In January 2021, he faced two more accusations related to his work. However, all these accusations were later dismissed.

Memberships and Awards

Earley was the president of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) from 2009 to 2010. He is also a certified manager with the ICMA. Earley is a lifelong member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He is also a member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

In 2011, Earley received an award from Western Michigan University. It was for his outstanding achievements as an alumni in public affairs. In 2015, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Muskegon Community College.

Personal Life

Darnell Earley is an ordained Baptist deacon. This means he has a special role in his church.

During his time working in Flint and for the Detroit Public Schools, Earley lived in Delta Township, Michigan.

Earley was married to Sandra Faye (White) Earley. She was a teacher and principal in Muskegon Heights Public Schools. She passed away in August 2003.