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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Positions renamed, city manager position created

A marathon discussion that grew heated at times and stretched over three City Council meetings finally ended in Liberty Lake Tuesday as the council narrowly passed two ordinances that created new positions and salaries.

The first ordinance took several positions listed in the budget as financial analysts and renamed them as planning and building services manager, administrative manager, city clerk and treasurer. The new positions include some of the duties previously handled by the former finance director, who quit in January and was not replaced.

Several council members questioned the need to make the changes now, instead of including it as part of the 2009 budget process that begins in October. “Why is it so sensitive that we have to do it now,” said Council member Patrick Jenkins.

Since the ordinance included new salaries, they also questioned giving people a raise now and then giving the usual cost of living raise in January. “Any raises should be discussed as part of the annual budget cycle,” Jenkins said.

“We’re spending a lot of time on this,” said Council member Neal Olander. “It’s just not efficient to do this in the middle of the year.”

Some council members also were upset they were only now being asked to approve changes the mayor made in January. She has repeatedly said that the people in the new positions have been doing the work since January. Council member Odin Langford and city attorney Sean Boutz had a sharp exchange over whether the mayor had the authority to create new positions. “She has the right to propose new positions,” Boutz said.

Langford said it seemed like the positions had already been created since people are already using the new titles. The titles appear on the city’s Web site. “People were promoted and people were given raises months ago,” he said.

“How can it be a proposal when it’s already been done,” said council member Susan Schuler. “It we had done this right, this should have been done in January.”

“I think we need to cut the crap,” Jenkins said. “We’re kind of just sweeping up under the rug what we’ve already done just to keep it kosher.”

Council members Olander, Brian Sayrs, David Crump and Judi Owens voted for the ordinance.

The other controversial ordinance, which passed with the same yes vote as the first one, created a new city manager position. Mayor Wendy Van Orman pointed out that of the hundreds of cities in Washington that have the strong mayor form of government, only Liberty Lake and one other do not have a city administrator. Liberty Lake had a city administrator until 2005. “I believe that we need one to get the city residents the services they need,” she said.

Crump expressed concern about funding the new position. The mayor had previously announced her intention to give the position to community development director Doug Smith and said additional funding wouldn’t be needed. “This is, honestly, a job title change,” she said.

Tuesday’s vote created the position and set the salary. The appointment of Smith to the position will have to be approved by the council at a future meeting.