Spokane County chief financial officer fired last month, but commissioners stay mum on reason

Spokane County fired its chief financial officer in November.

Gary Petrovich, who was hired as Spokane County’s CFO in May 2020, declined to comment on his termination.

Spokane County commissioners Al French, Mary Kuney and Josh Kerns all said they couldn’t discuss the reasons for Petrovich’s firing.

“I can’t really talk about personnel stuff, but I like Gary. I enjoyed working with Gary,” Kerns said. “He did a stellar job for us.”

Spokane County spokesman Jared Webley also declined to give the reason for Petrovich’s firing.

Petrovich, who is in his mid-60s, became Spokane County’s budget czar after spending nearly a decade as Whitman County’s administrative director.

Before entering government, he spent his career in the private sector with stops at Amoco – the gas company formerly known as Standard Oil – and a beer and wine wholesaler in Spokane.

Petrovich grew up in Anaconda, Montana, and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Montana.

In 2020, he earned a $116,000 annual salary as the county’s CFO.