UPDATE: Bemidji City Council Backing City Manager Nate Mathews Following Complaint

The Bemidji City Council has affirmed its current support for City Manager Nate Mathews after a 22-page complaint was filed against him earlier this month. Council members deliberated for nearly five hours during a closed special meeting Thursday night.

The complaint is signed by 23 community members that sit on the Bemidji Alliance Leadership Council. Gary Johnson, the chair of the alliance, tells Lakeland News that the group has concerns with Mathews’s conduct and the culture of city leadership.

The City of Bemidji will hire a third-party to facilitate a collaborative process in an attempt to resolve the issues related to the allegations against Mathews. Brandon Fitzsimmons of law firm Flaherty & Hood is representing the city on this matter and couldn’t comment further.

Mathews has been employed by the City since April 2015. The Bemidji Alliance, which filed the complaint, is an organization that includes Bemidji Economic Development, the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, Visit Bemidji, and the Bemidji Downtown Alliance.