Detroit mayor fires 2 top appointees

DETROIT - Two of Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s top appointees have been relieved of their duties.
Group executive Sue Carnell and Darchelle Strickland Love, who was tasked with special projects, have been removed from the mayor’s office effective today. Karen Dumas, the mayor’s group executive for communications, confirmed the firings, but would not comment further.
Carnell’s responsibilities included overseeing community relations, education, government affairs health and human services. This is the second shift for Strickland Love, who initially served as the mayor’s group executive for health and human services. The mayor reorganized his cabinet in December, unappointed Strickland Love as a group executive and put her in charge of special projects.
Carnell was paid $150,000 annually and Strickland Love salary was $135,000.
Neither could be immediately reached for comment.
The firings come on the heels of reports Thursday that officials from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, including director Pamela Turner and George Ellenwood, director of public affairs, want to retire from their jobs within the Bing administration.
Contact SUZETTE HACKNEY: shackney@freepress.com. http://bit.ly/cq8LWr