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Municipal court administrator Howard Delaney to retire; city plans national search
Summary
Howard Delaney, municipal court administrator, will retire Oct. 24. Judge O'Sullivan and court staff told the council the administration will provide funding and the court has contracted an executive firm to run a national search; an SBO is expected.
Howard Delaney, municipal court administrator, has announced he will retire effective Oct. 24, creating a planned leadership transition in Spokane Municipal Court, Judge O'Sullivan told the Public Safety and Community Health Committee on July 14. The court and city administration are preparing for the vacancy and for the financial implications of Delaney’s departure, Judge O'Sullivan said. "Initially, we were looking at what our options were ... whether we were going to hire an interim person, whether we were gonna do out of grade pay for current employees," he said, adding recent retirements in the clerk’s office have limited internal options. The administration has told the court it will support and assist in filling the position once Delaney vacates it, O'Sullivan said, and the court has assembled funds to hire an executive organization to conduct a national search. "You can expect an SBO from the administration for that funding. You can also expect from us an SBO," he told the committee. Committee members pressed for details about any gap after Delaney departs. The court representatives said day-to-day coverage would likely be provided by a combination of current clerks and other court staff and that the court’s top priority is to shorten any gap. The court also acknowledged the size of Delaney’s payout will affect timing and options for backfilling the position. When asked whether Delaney might be kept on as a contractor during a transition, court staff said that would depend on available funding. "I mean, I think that comes down to funding," O'Sullivan said. The committee requested the court notify the council if it needs specific funding assistance and to keep the council apprised of the hiring timeline. Council member Bingle publicly thanked Delaney for his service during the meeting. No formal motion or vote was made during the July 14 committee meeting; the court characterized the briefing as an update and planning discussion.
