Former Kansas City Manager Brian Platt’s closest aide during most of his four years in the role is now also out of a job.
More than 10 weeks after he was fired, Melissa Kozakiewicz has been forced out of the assistant city manager position that paid her $190,000 a year. The circumstances of her termination were not announced. The city’s press secretary, Sherae Honeycutt, said she cannot comment on personnel matters.
But as a central figure in the Chris Hernandez whistleblower lawsuit that recently cost city taxpayers $1.4 million and damaged city government’s reputation for transparency in sharing truthful information with the public, some in city government were calling for Kozakiewicz’s ouster behind the scenes.
She declined comment.
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“I want to inform you that Assistant City Manager Melissa Kozakiewicz is no longer with the organization, effective immediately,” City Manager Mario Vasquez said in a message to employees on Monday afternoon. “We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Platt hired her in May 2021, five months after he became city manager. She worked for him in a similar role while he was the top administrator in Jersey City, New Jersey. In Kansas City, Kozakiewicz was who Platt often turned to for promoting his key initiatives and honing the city’s messaging. Among her passions was expanding the city’s composting program.
After the City Council fired Platt in late March, Kozakiewicz continued working for interim city manager...
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