Gig Harbor hires Snoqualmie executive as new city administrator

The city of Gig Harbor has hired a new city administrator, Robert J. Larson.

Larson is currently the City Administrator at Snoqualmie, a job he has held for the last 15 years, according to the mayor’s blog. He comes with over 20 years of City Manager/City Administrator experience in both Washington and Minnesota.

The City Council approved the contract with Larson on Monday. He will begin work on Jan. 6, 2020.

“I have spent many hours with Bob getting to know him,” said Mayor Kit Kuhn in his online blog. “He is supportive of our vision and mission and is eager to start a new chapter of his life with our city.”

Two council members abstained from voting, saying there had not been adequate public notice.

According to the contract, the City Administrator must assist the mayor with “performance of the Mayor’s administrative responsibilities; implement the policies set forth by the Mayor and City Council as directed by them; report to the Mayor and City Council concerning the affairs of the City; and perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Mayor.”

Larson will earn a base annual salary of $174,418, according to the contract.

This decision was made on Monday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. after a City Council study session was switched to a special meeting. The contract was available for the public to review the day of the meeting.

Mayor Kuhn said the goal was to let Larson give his city a month and a half notice, in order to have Larson begin working on Jan. 6, 2020.

“Mr. Larson had not told his city; he was very happy where he was at. We honored that and posted the contract after he had informed his city,” Kuhn said.

Both Council members Perrow and Hutchins abstained from voting. Perrow said his decision was based on transparency, saying the public did not receive enough time to review the contract.

“Four hours of notice regarding something this monumental is not acceptable in my book,” Perrow said. “It is not the transparency people voted on four years ago, it is not the transparency people voted for two years ago, and not the transparency people voted for two weeks ago.”

The duties of city administrator have been filled by Mayor Kuhn while the city has been searching for a replacement for the previous administrator, Wade Farris. Farris stepped down from the position after allegations that he treated woman differently than men in the workplace.

According to the City of Snoqualmie website, Larson “has reorganized city departments, streamlined city business systems, greatly improved customer service and elevated the professionalism of city management.”

Located on I-90 about 45 miles east of Seattle, Snoqualmie has a population of about 13,900.

Larson is a board member of the Sound Cities Association, North East King County Regional Public Safety Communication Agency (NORCOM) and eCityGov Alliance, serving as its chairman from 2007 to 2014.

He is a past-president of the Washington City-County Management Association (WCCMA) board of directors and served as a board member of the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) from 2015 to 2017.

This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 12:00 AM.