A veteran Annapolis official will be named to the city's No. 2 post Thursday, as his successor prepares to step down.
Mayor Joshua J. Cohen is expected to announce at a Thursday afternoon news conference that Michael D. Mallinoff, the director of the Department of Neighborhood and Environmental Programs, will be the new city manager, according to government sources.
Mallinoff was city administrator for about six years ending in 1995, though the position was recently renamed "city manager" as the Annapolis city council tweaked its government structure in response to dissatisfaction over the job performance of the departing administrator, Douglas E Smith.
Smith's contract expires at the end of this month, ending a tenure in which his leadership style was criticized during a difficult budget session.
Forced to deal with an $11 million budget deficit in his first months in office, Cohen laid off 33 employees, a move that some council members decried. In a compromise with the council, Cohen agreed to let go of Smith, one of his closest aides. The council voted to reform the position of city administrator, changing the name and giving the council authority to fire the manager without the consent of the mayor.
Alderman Kenneth A. Kirby said Mallinoff would be the "best guy" for the job.
"That's music to my ears," said Kirby, a Democrat. "Michael knows this city. He knows the inner workings. He knows the department heads. He has respect. Mike is a no-nonsense guy. If he has to tighten the belt, he will."
Phillip McGowan, a spokesman for Cohen, declined to comment Wednesday. Malinoff did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Mallinoff, a lawyer by training, was city administrator in Annapolis under Mayor Alfred Hopkins. He left to take a job as city manager in Newport, R.I. Mallinoff returned in 2002, when he began his current job. He now oversees code enforcement — including permits and inspections — as well as the city's environmental programs.
The announcement comes as the city is dealing with the unsolved theft of nearly $154,000 from the city's Finance Department. The payments were discovered stolen June 8, but Cohen did not learn about the incident until a week later.
Smith said recently that he expected to stay on to help the new city manager through the transition. Smith is expected to stay in city government in an unidentified position, working on issues related to economic development and the downtown Market House, according to a source briefed on the plans.
Smith did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.
nicole.fuller@baltsun.com