Swanson finds new (temporary) city manager job, will drop termination appeal
However, she continues to pursue claims of wrongful firing against the Longview City Council
Longview’s self-imposed loss is the City of Battle Ground’s gain.
Fewer than two months after the Longview City Council fired her without cause on March 13, Kris Swanson has taken a new job as interim city manager in Battleground. The City Council there selected her unanimously, and Monday marked her first day at the helm of the north Clark County community.
Battle Ground has about half the population of Longview, which has 38,000 residents. But it will pay Swanson more — at an annual rate of $208,000 — than her final salary in Longview ($195,000), Swanson said.
Swanson said she will apply for the permanent city manager’s position and will move this summer because the city would require her to live in Battle Ground. She also wants to avoid the hour-long commute from her existing home in Silver Lake.
She said she feels confident about her prospects to land the permanent job. “I think I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone,” said Swanson, 53.
(Swanson’s) auditing experience really stood out to me. I knew we had someone who is ethical and straightforward and who was available and qualified and capable.” — Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy
Taking the job there will cause her to abandon her earlier plans to request a public hearing to challenge her ouster on a 4-3 vote dominated by the Longview City Council’s new conservative majority. The deadline to make the request expired Monday.
“I don’t think it would happen, but what if (the council) changed their minds” about the firing? Swanson said. “It would put me in a position where I would have to quit (the Longview job) and lose” her severance pay.
“The Council’s decision has clearly been made and there seems little to be gained by requesting a public hearing,” she said in a text message. “That does not alter the fact that my termination was a breach of contact and the treatment I received in the work place was unlawful.’
“I want my supporters to know that and (that) I appreciate all the support they’ve shown me during my time in Longview.”
Swanson said her attorney is negotiating with the city of Longview to settle her claims against the city.
Her contract stipulated that she could be terminated only with a five-vote supermajority. However, only the council’s four-member conservative bloc voted for her ouster, citing state law that says that city managers can be terminated with a simple majority.
Swanson will work under 30-day contracts until the city finds a permanent manager, said Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy. The city just began the search process Monday.
McCoy hopes to fill the position quickly, but a search could take “four, six, eight months” he acknowledged.
McCoy said Battle Ground hired Swanson, a former Cowlitz County auditor, for several reasons.
“Her auditing experience really stood out to me. I knew we had someone who is ethical and straightforward and who was available and qualified and capable,” McCoy said.
McCoy said he watched the video recordings of the contentious Longview City Council meetings at which Swanson’s future was debated.
“I was impressed at how (Swanson) handled herself. She handled a very difficult situation with grace.”
Swanson sat at the council dais silently while her defenders — which included former mayors, city managers, council members and city workers — went at it with her critics.
In Swanson’s only evaluation as city manager, she received outstanding grades from the prior City Council. In the evaluation, conducted in August, she scored 4.34 out of possible 5 points.
McCoy said Swanson’s new salary matches that of the previous city manager, Erin Erdman. Hiring Swanson at the same rate actually is a money saver for the city, McCoy said. Interim city manager hires usually cost more because of the need to pay temporary living costs.
Swanson said she is “ super excited about” the new opportunity. “The challenges down there are very different from Longview’s.”
Battle Ground is one of the state’s fastest-growing communities. The issues are growth, growth and growth again. There’s very little other open and developable land left in Clark County, McCoy said. And housing prices are still relatively low compared to other Portland Metro area communities, he added.
Swanson said she impressed by the Battle Ground City Council, which is made up of three women and four men. It has a mix of experienced and new members. The mayor runs meetings competently and the senior staff has ample expertise, she said, rattling off her reasons for enthusiasm.
North Clark County tends to be very red/conservative. However, judging from the last congressional election, Battle Ground itself is purple, with a 50-50 Democratic/Republican split, McCoy said.
Swanson has spent her whole working career in government service, starting in the elections department of the Cowlitz County Auditor’s Office.
She became Longview’s sixth city manager in March 2023. She has been employed with the city since March 2020, serving as administrative services director until July 2022, when she was promoted to assistant city manager.
Also Monday, Swanson sent out a farewell email to Longview city workers in which she addresses staff as “Team Longview.” She starts the six-paragraph message by saying, “This is one of the hardest letters I have ever had to write.”
Without being specific, she wrote, “I am extremely proud of our accomplishments and the work that brought the city to a path of financial strength and strategic governance. I am confident this work will be foundational as Longview moves forward and addresses new challenges and priorities.”
The letter is filled with emotion but is totally devoid of anger, not mentioning her firing or the City Council at all and predicting progress for the city.
“I know you will continue to do everything in your power to maintain the city's remarkable progress,” she writes the staff. “You, my A team, the best there was in my years as a leader.”
I’m so glad this worked out for Kris, but worry about the future of Longview. When you see clowns, expect a circus!
our loss, Battlegrounds gain....I hoped those bullying their way into their new "elected" positions would be held accountable. Guess we are left with voting them out of office...it didn't have to be this way but some folks can't see their way clear to helping their fellow human beings or work towards solutions to problems that benefit ALL...they'd rather take a wrecking ball to every problem they have chosen to see as a problem and not benefitting them.