Police Chief Bret Farrar confirmed Tuesday that he is considering applying to become city manager.
Council members said at Monday night’s meeting that he had expressed interest in the permanent job when he was approached about being appointed as interim city manager. Farrar said he responded he might be but he hadn’t made up his mind.
“I like being the chief. I enjoy my job,” he said Tuesday in a phone interview.
At the same time, he continued, “I think I would bring some real fiscal responsibility to the rest of the city like I’ve done with the police department.”
Councilman Michael Brandstetter said during Monday’s meeting he wasn’t inclined to appoint Farrar as interim city manager — Farrar had said he wasn’t interested anyway — because the councilman “wanted to respect (his) desire to have a viable opportunity to compete for the permanent position.”
Farrar was hired when the Lakewood Police Department started in 2004 and was promoted to deputy chief in 2006. He was named police chief two years later with the departure of former police chief Larry Saunders. He has worked in the area for 25 years, starting with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in 1988.
Farrar’s name came up briefly for new job when the Washington State Patrol troopers union was attempting to lobby Gov. Jay Inslee to replace State Patrol Chief John Batiste. Inslee reappointed Batiste.
The council considered five members of the city’s executive team for appointment as interim city manager. Finance Director Choi Halladay also confirmed he is considering applying.
Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/street/2013/02/11/update-lakewood-police-chief-mulling-bid-for-city-manager/
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.