Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy Tuesday vetoed a County Council ordinance that would place limits on how long interim department directors selected by her can work in those jobs.
The veto was McCarthy’s fourth since she took office in 2009 – twice as many as her longer-serving predecessor, John Ladenburg. The council overturned two of McCarthy’s three prior vetoes.
Ladenburg – who like McCarthy is a Democrat – vetoed council ordinances twice during eight years and was overturned once.
The ordinance she vetoed Tuesday would restrict an interim director to 120 days unless extended by the council. It also would cap an interim director’s salary at 90 percent of what the previous department director was paid, unless the council approved a higher salary.
“I don’t believe it’s the purview of the County Council to be weighing in on the operational side,” McCarthy said. The council’s job is to set policy, she added, while it’s her job to run the county on a day-to-day basis.
A total of 17 department heads report to the county executive. McCarthy said she’s had no complaints from council members about her selection of temporary directors.
“It seems to me we’re creating legislation that doesn’t need to be created,” McCarthy said.
Council Chairman Roger Bush expressed surprise when a reporter told him Tuesday about the veto.
“She vetoed it?” Bush asked. “I don’t understand the reasoning for it.”
Bush said the measure that he spearheaded put into county code the practice McCarthy has been following. Bush declined to cite an example when McCarthy’s selection of an interim has been a problem, but he said there have been concerns about the position not being in county code.
“This in no way infringes on the executive’s ability to perform the duties of her office,” Bush said.
McCarthy names acting or interim directors without council confirmation. She also appoints permanent department directors, but they must be confirmed by the council.
McCarthy named Linda Gerull as acting director of information technology and appointed her to be permanent director six months later, county spokesman Hunter George said. The county also had a pathologist under contract for nine months until a medical examiner was hired after two nationwide searches, George said.
The County Council approved the ordinance by a 5-to-2 vote along party lines on Sept. 6. Democrats Tim Farrell and Rick Talbert voted “no.”
Bush said he expects the council will override McCarthy’s veto, which takes five votes.
McCarthy proposed amending Bush’s original proposal from 120 days to one year for interim directors and eliminating any salary restriction.
Talbert made that proposal to the council, but it was defeated, also along party lines.
Despite her string of vetoes, McCarthy said she and the council “have a great relationship.”
“There will be times when the council and executive branch have to agree to disagree,” she said.
Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647
steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/polibuzz
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