Royal Oak selects new city manager, hiring from neighboring community

The Royal Oak City Commission has unanimously selected Joseph Gacioch as its new city manager.

Gacioch, currently serving as city manager in Ferndale, was one of two candidates the commission interviewed on Saturday, Oct. 12. The commission voted to select Gacioch at a special meeting Tuesday morning.

Gacioch is a credentialed manager under the International City/County Management Association, according to a release from Royal Oak.

He is also active with the Michigan Municipal Executives, where he serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

During Gacioch's tenure with Ferndale, he oversaw the development of the city's first climate action plan.

Gacioch holds a master's degree in public administration from Wayne State University and a bachelor's degree in hospitality and management from Eastern Michigan University, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The other candidate interviewed was Khalfani Stephens, Pontiac's deputy mayor.

A third candidate, Oak Park city manager Erik Tungate, was selected for an interview but withdrew from consideration. A total of 54 candidates applied for the position.

The city and Gacioch are negotiating the terms of his contract. The commission will likely vote on the contract at a meeting Oct. 28.

Gacioch's start date with Royal Oak will likely be several months after that, said Mark Wollenweber, interim Royal Oak city manager.

City managers generally need that much time to wrap up projects they are overseeing in the municipality they are leaving, Wollenweber said.

Another interim manager, Todd Fenton, served the city before Wollenweber. Fenton became interim manager in December 2023 after former City Manager Paul Brake resigned.

Generally, a city manager runs the day-to-day operations of a municipality that does not have a full-time mayor.