Anacortes council confirms Mannix McDonald as fire chief after contentious hearing

The Anacortes City Council voted 4–2 to confirm Mannix McDonald as the city’s fire chief and authorized the mayor to sign his employment contract following a lengthy public-comment period and council discussion.

The council considered the appointment after HR Director Kendall Moyle described a competitive recruitment, screening interviews and a final panel interview that included council members and fire-service leaders. “Chief McDonald has served with the city of Anacortes fire department since 2022 as assistant fire chief and has been serving as interim fire chief since April 1, 2026,” Moyle said, noting McDonald brings “28 years of fire service experience” and the endorsement of IAFF Local 1537.

The confirmation followed robust public testimony both for and against McDonald. Supporters including Dean Shelton, a retired fire chief, and Scott Ealy, a current Anacortes firefighter, told the council McDonald had led measurable improvements in EMS, training and department culture and earned strong support from rank-and-file personnel. “Chief McDonald is qualified for this position. He’s experienced, and he has shown that he can serve this community as the assistant chief for the last four years,” Dean Shelton said.

Opponents pointed to a 2018 incident in Bellingham that, according to public speaker Dale Kimber, involved an inappropriate training practice and a recommendation from Bellingham leadership that the matter warranted termination. Kimber asked the council to delay action and to make public how many applicants were considered and whether a qualified external reviewer participated in the process. “Before this meeting started, the council sat in a closed session…30 minutes later is the fire chief vote. So I’m asking was that session about this vote and does anything set behind that door ever reach the public?” Kimber said.

Several council members argued both for and against delaying the vote. Some said they had new information to review and wanted more time to question the candidate; others said the concerns had been available during the hiring process and that delaying would hinder department operations. The council first considered a motion to postpone consideration; that motion failed after a tie and the mayor’s deciding vote. A subsequent motion to confirm passed on a roll-call vote: Miss Hunt, Cleland McGrath, Miss Moulton and Mister Young voted yes; Mister Currier and Mister Fantini voted no.

Mayor Mary Walters said she had independently reviewed the Bellingham materials and expressed confidence in McDonald’s qualifications and the hiring process. “Chief McDonald rose to the top among all the applicants,” Walters said, adding that the candidate had earned endorsements from former chiefs and other field professionals.

Council members who voted no said they were not questioning McDonald’s technical competence but were uncomfortable making a final decision without additional time to evaluate recent materials and to ask follow-up questions.

The council’s action authorizes the mayor to execute the contract presented at the meeting. The city will proceed with hiring to fill any resulting staffing gaps in the fire department’s leadership.