Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Hiring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates role in finance director hiring; defers salary limits to administration
Summary
Council discussed a walk‑on status update for the finance director recruitment after the long‑time director announced departure; members raised concerns about setting hiring step or offers, but council generally deferred to HR and administration while asking for prudence and potential budget review next year.
A walk‑on status update on the city’s finance director recruitment prompted council discussion April 28 about whether elected members should constrain hiring offers for a senior director position.
City staff reported they received 38 applications after posting the vacancy and reviewed the 2026 salary schedule that had been approved previously. The city administrator briefed the council on the process; HR Director Anya Warrington explained the job was advertised across the full pay range (steps 1–7) and that the city normally hires between steps A–C (steps 1–3). Hiring above those steps requires justification and additional approvals and the city must comply with Washington pay‑transparency laws when posting salaries.
Some council members said they were uncomfortable directing a specific offer amount or imposing a step cap for an individual hire, noting it would risk false advertising of the posted range and legal exposure under state law. Others urged prudence because this is a senior, hard‑to‑fill role and “you get what you pay for.” Several council members said the appropriate time to change ranges is during the budget process and not during active hiring.
The council did not adopt any formal direction to administration; instead, members generally deferred to staff to proceed with outreach, initial screening and offers consistent with policy while encouraging careful budget oversight. HR reiterated that if staff propose hiring above typical steps, that action requires justification and approval through HR and the city administrator.
