Longview Council taps parks director to be new city manager

Jennifer Wills will become city’s seventh city manager

After deliberating for four hours over two days behind closed doors, the Longview City Council on Wednesday night appointed city parks director Jennifer Wills to be the new city manager.

The vote to appoint Wills was 5 to 2, with council members Erik Halvorson and Kalei LaFave casting the sole no votes. While expressing admiration for Wills, they said they would have liked to have had a stronger field of the final candidates beyond the four finalists interviewed.

Wills has been a very popular, high energy parks director. She was a finalist to become Centralia’s city manager last summer.

Will’s will become Longview’s seventh city manager and second woman to hold the post. She will replace Kris Swanson, whose controversial firing last March has led to months of conflict in city government.

The manager is the city’s top administrator.

I will update and expand this story later tonight.