Ex mayor, city managers, others urge council to back off actions against Swanson, Rivers

Controversial resolution struck from Thursday City Council agenda — for now

Two former Longview city managers, a former mayor and seven former city council members are urging the new City Council majority to back off efforts against the city’s top two administrators.

“It is important to acknowledge that three of you have only been in your positions for approximately two months, which may not be sufficient to fully grasp the complexities of city operations and to understand the nuances of city leadership styles,” according to the Feb. 19 letter to the seven-member council.

“We are requesting that you reconsider the current efforts to make significant changes to the current city leadership.”

It is signed by former City Managers Bob Gregory and Kurt Sacha; former Mayor Mark McCrady; former council members Mike Wallin, Ken Botero, Steve Moon, Chuck Wallace, Andy Busack, Mary Jane Melink and Hillary Strobel; and former human relations manager Keith Larson.

The group represents decades of experience working for the city and City Council, a range of leadership and styles and an array of political views.

The entire letter is affixed to the bottom of this column.  The letter, though polite, is stern and direct. It joins a rash of public correspondence the city has received complaining about the council’s recent actions.

The letter is a response to a proposed resolution to conduct a performance audit of Assistant City Manager Ann Rivers. It was drafted by new members Keith Young and Kalei LaFave.  The measure was scheduled for action on the council’s Thursday meeting agenda, but it was struck and not up for consideration as of midafternoon Wednesday. A full explanation was not immediately available.

The letter also follows a January 25 executive session at which the council put City Manager Kris Swanson in the hot seat for the city lobbyist’s clerical error in a legislative funding request for Hope Village. Swanson sent the council a bristling letter of rebuke over the matter.

Swanson also has asserted the resolution now asking for an audit of Rivers originally was an attempt to invoke a state law to fire her with a four-vote majority. Her contract with the city specifies that it would take five votes terminate her.

Young and LaFave initially tried to introduce the resolution as the council was set to adjourn Feb. 8. They were prevented from doing so by a council rule against surprise actions.Young didn’t release the text of the resolution until following week.

The letter also states: “We are troubled by the fact that former (Longview Police) Chief Jim Duscha is possibly being considered as an auditor. In the last election, Chief Duscha publicly endorsed several council members who are pushing this effort. His close association with certain council members raises questions about his ability to conduct a fair and impartial audit.”

The letter recommends that the city contract with the state auditor’s office to do the work if it decides to proceed with an audit.

“It is crucial that any decisions regarding city leadership and staff are made thoughtfully, transparently, and with the best interest of the community in mind. We believe that open communication and collaboration and a commitment to fairness and justice are essential in building a strong and effective city government,” according to the letter.

The council’s majority bloc is made up of Young, LaFave, and Erik Halvorson — who all were elected in November —  and Spencer Boudreau. Boudreau, who is in his early 20s, became the youngest major in city history in January.

Boudreau did not return requests for comment Wednesday.

I don’t want to criticize someone just because of his/her youth, but if this council is to succeed Boudreau and the rest of that bloc must steer the council away from this needless and disruptive path. 

I will repeat what I’ve said before. With only 38% of the Longview electorate votin gin November, this new council has no mandate to fire or chase away capable and successful administrators. It will kill employee moral and the city will lose other talent. Chaos will reign.

Longview, like many cities, is facing a crisis brought about by tax reduction initiatives; the cost of repairing and replacing aging infrastructure; the shortage of affordable housing; the competition for police officers, lawyers and engineers;  the exorbitant costs of the opioid epidemic; the backlog in parks maintenance; as well as inflation.

These are not problems our city caused, but we are facing the consequences of them.

The council needs to work together on these issues.  

Perhaps the place for Boudreau to start mending fences would be assign two council members (one from each camp)  to work on a specific concern. It doesn’t have to bne a snarly challenge. It could be something as simple as upgrading the playground at a single city park. This could  build collegiality and lead to bipartisan cooperation instead of hostility.  Council members cannot treat one another along a MAGA/progressive line and expect to get much done.

The current hostilities are not serving anyone’s purpose.

Here is the complete text of the letter to the City Council

February 19, 2024

Dear Longview Council Members,

It has come to our attention that there are concerns regarding the recent resolutions and actions taken by the Council members, particularly in relation to the City Manager and Assistant City Manager.  As former City Managers and City Council members with many years of City management and leadership experience, we are requesting you to reconsider the current efforts to make significant changes to the current city leadership. 

It is important to acknowledge that three of you have only been in your positions for approximately two months, which may not be sufficient time to fully grasp the complexities of city operations and understand the nuances of city leadership styles. Before making any drastic decisions that could impact the stability and efficiency of the city government, we urge you to take the time to familiarize yourselves with the staff and the operations of the City Manager's office.

New leaders should always take time to get to know the people in their organization, understand their work responsibilities and have sufficient time to identify organizational strengths and weaknesses before making significant changes.  Often initial perceptions made in haste are inaccurate.  With respect to the decision to conduct an audit of Ann Rivers, the Assistant City Manager, and the Community Development Director, we believe there is a need for independence and transparency.  This means that it is essential that the auditor chosen for this task is unbiased and free from any conflicts of interest.

We are troubled by the fact that former Chief Jim Duscha is possibly being considered as the auditor. In the last election, Chief Duscha publicly endorsed several Council members who are pushing this effort. His close association with certain council members raises questions about his ability to conduct a fair and impartial audit. If the decision is made to continue with this audit, to ensure the integrity of the audit process, we recommend finding an auditor who does not have any personal or professional ties to the individuals involved. One consideration is contacting the State Auditors office to see if they would conduct it.

It is crucial that any decisions regarding the city leadership and staff are made thoughtfully, transparently, and with the best interests of the community in mind. We believe that open communication, collaboration, and a commitment to fairness and justice are essential in building a strong and effective city government.

We humbly request that you reconsider your approach and take the necessary steps to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of the current city leadership. The future of Longview and its residents depends on the integrity and professionalism of its elected officials and city administrators.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

   Name Signature           Title

Bob Gregory Former City Manager

Kurt Sacha Former City Manager

Mark McCrady Former Mayor

Ken Botero Former City Council Member

Steve Moon Former Council Member

Chuck Wallace Former Council Member

Andy Busack Former Council Member

Mary Jane Melink Former Mayor Pro Tem

Mike Wallin Former Mayor Pro Tem

Keith Larson Former HR Manager

   Name Signature           Title

Hillary Strobel   Former Council Member