Flint City Attorney nabs new job in Battle Creek

Flint, MI — City Attorney William Kim is leaving Flint for a position on the west end of the state.

According to Battle Creek City Commission records, officials interviewed Kim on June 18, 2024, during their regularly scheduled meeting where they went into closed session prior to introducing Kim to the public. Officials said all of the candidates for the position including Kim asked for their applications to be reviewed in a closed session.

“Confidentiality the commission had already approved a job description that contained minimum qualifications none of the other applicants met the minimum qualifications contained within the job description the candidate we have decided to interview tonight clearly met the minimum qualifications and we’re looking forward to interviewing with him… this evening,” said Battle Creek officials during the June 18 meeting.

Kim started as Assistant City Attorney with Flint in 2015. He was later appointed to City Attorney in 2022 under Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley. According to an emailed July 5 press release from the City of Flint, Kim’s resignation is effective on July 26. Chief Deputy City Attorney Joseph Kuptz will serve as City Attorney per the Flint City Charter.

“The City of Flint will post the City Attorney position and seek applicants both internally and externally,” read the July 5 release.

During his interview with Battle Creek, Kim touted his work on civil rights issues, working with police departments, the Freedom of Request Act (FOIA), and Michigan’s Open Meetings Act.

Kim also reflected on his work regarding the Flint water crisis.

“I had actually not joined that office until after the emergency managers left. I was the only person in the office who wasn’t conflicted out… as a fact witness in those cases. So, I with our outside Council led the city’s legal response to the all the litigation that the city faced… That was basically…about…two-thirds or three-quarters of my responsibility for the next five years,” Kim said.

On July 2, 2024, the Battle Creek Commission voted unanimously to appoint Kim as City Attorney effective Aug. 1 after holding a nearly 20-minute closed session. Five applicants were vying for the position.

Before the July 2 Battle Creek meeting, Flint Beat contacted Flint officials on July 1 after receiving information that Kim was potentially leaving Flint for a job in Battle Creek. In an email response, officials said there had been no official confirmation that Kim would be leaving Flint.

“Bill Kim has not yet submitted his resignation or officially accepted another position, so we are not able to answer your questions at this time,” stated the July 1 email from the City of Flint’s Communications Director, Catie O’Neill. “I will follow up with you as soon as I can give you some answers, but nothing is confirmed or official yet.”

In December 2022, Kim also vied for a city attorney position with the City of Kalamazoo. It is unclear why Kim didn’t get the position but according to news reports Kalamazoo officials filled it with their choice candidate in April 2023.