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Back in November 2005, Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson announced that the position of city administrator would no longer be a part of the municipal hierarchy.
Lewis Griffin, who had signed on as city administrator after Liberty Lake incorporated in 2001, had been informed of the potential shift in August. The city later offered Griffin, a former city administrator in Colfax, a reduced role as a legislative assistant, which he politely declined.
Peterson said the change would mean additional responsibility for department heads like Police Chief Brian Asmus and Community Development Director Doug Smith. Griffin’s annual salary of $71,949 was promptly moved into the city’s general fund.
Nearly three years after the shakeup at City Hall, the issue of rearranging Liberty Lake’s organizational chart emerged once again – this time, Wendy Van Orman – who replaced Peterson as mayor in January – brought up the idea of bringing back a city administrator, claiming the addition would be in the best interest of citizens.
The proposal had met some opposition among the City Council when it was introduced as Ordinance 165-D last month as an appropriation to the 2008 budget. At Tuesday’s council meeting, the second reading of the ordinance was on the agenda, as well as a vote that would determine whether Smith, who has served in the role of planning and community development director since 2001, would become the second city administrator in Liberty Lake’s short history.
After the votes were tabulated, Smith’s appointment had won approval by a 4-3 margin with Brian Sayrs, Judi Owens, Neal Olander and David Crump in the affirmative and Patrick Jenkins, Susan Schuler and Odin Langford voting against the ordinance.
Prior to the roll call, Van Orman described how Liberty Lake was only one of two towns or cities in Washington with a strong mayor form of government that did not include a city administrator. The other being Brier, a city of 6,500 located about 15 miles north of Seattle.
Owens, who has served on the City Council since 2001, said Liberty Lake’s original council members were provided training on the duties of a city administrator within a strong mayor system, including the difference between a city administrator and a city manager – often seen in a council form of government like the city of Spokane Valley.
“I thought it was a good way to run a city,” Owens said.
Owens said she talked with Van Orman after the mayor took office about “going back to the city administrator form of government, now that we’re changing administrations.” In addition to Peterson, Arlene Fisher, one of the first employees of the city who served as director of finance and administration, left Liberty Lake in January to take the job of city administrator in Cheney.
Van Orman reminded council members on Tuesday that the city had already passed an ordinance back in August 2001, creating the position of city administrator. The vote on Ordinance 165-D merely signaled a title change for Smith and a shift in the salary schedule.
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By
Craig Howard
