Before becoming Lakewood’s city manager 61/2 years ago, Andrew Neiditz lived in Tacoma for 20 years. His two children graduated from Wilson High School. His wife, Marie, taught at two Tacoma elementary schools.
That connection to Pierce County’s largest city is a major reason Neiditz says he applied to become Tacoma’s next city manager. The Tacoma City Council named Neiditz one of five finalists for the job Tuesday night.
“The more I thought about the challenges in Tacoma and the regional work I’ve done and what I have to offer, I felt it was a meaningful challenge for me to pursue,” Neiditz, 58, explained Wednesday.
“My interest in this new position is not a sign at all of my lack of interest in the City of Lakewood,” he added.
The Tacoma City Council is scheduled to make a hiring decision Dec. 13.
Neiditz, who lives in Lakewood, said he thought about applying when he learned the Tacoma City Council had terminated the employment of former City Manager Eric Anderson in July. Neiditz said he was later contacted by the recruiting firm hired by the city.
Neiditz revealed his interest in the job to the Lakewood City Council during an Oct. 17 executive session to discuss his job performance. The council’s response during the closed-door session was favorable, he said.
Neiditz periodically checks in with the council to get its measure of how he’s doing. He said he didn’t formally notify the council he’d applied for the job. He submitted his application Oct. 20, the day before the deadline.
Mayor Doug Richardson said Wednesday that Neiditz is a logical candidate for Tacoma because of his history in the area and his active role on regional issues, including the pending overhaul of Pierce County’s 911 system and efforts to address the impacts of rapid military-related growth in the South Sound.
“We think Andrew’s doing a fantastic job,” Richardson said. “We will miss him dearly should he take the job in Tacoma. Being a professional city manager, I can understand why he’d be attracted to the position.”
While Lakewood is the county’s second-largest city, Tacoma has more than three times its population and is a full-service city. Tacoma runs its own fire department, for instance, while Lakewood contracts with West Pierce Fire & Rescue for firefighting and emergency medical response.
Neiditz earns an annual salary of $156,000. Anderson was making $235,000 at the time he left the Tacoma job.
Neiditz became Lakewood’s city manager on March 7, 2005. The council gave him high marks during his annual performance evaluation earlier this year.
Neiditz’s employment contract requires he give 30 days’ notice before resigning his position. Richardson said the council hasn’t had any discussions related to the potential search for a successor.
Christian Hill: 253-274-7390 christian.hill@thenewstribune.com Twitter: @TNTchill
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