Swanson hired as permanent city manager in Battle Ground

Longview's loss is Battle Ground's gain

Former Longview City Manager Kristina Swanson, whom the Longview City Council fired without cause in March, has been hired as the permanent city manager in Battle Ground, she announced Wednesday.

“I couldn’t be happier. I am so honored (that) the Battle Ground City Council has the trust and faith in me to help them lead this beautiful city and to do so with such an incredibly talented city staff,” Swanson said by email.

I could not immediately reach Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy for comment, but he previously said he was impressed by Swanson’s professionalism, budgetary expertise, and grace and patience in the face of adversity.

“(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.” — McCoy said at the time.

Battle Ground, a rapidly growing city in north Clark County, hired Swanson as interim city manager 12 weeks ago, shortly after the Longview City Council fired her on March 13.

News of her permanent appointment came the day after the Longview City Council, four months after ditching Swanson, finally agreed on a process to search for a permanent city manager.

The council decisively turned back Councilwoman Kalei LaFave’s attempt to appoint Jim Duscha to the permanent position. The retired chief is a close ally of LaFave and the council tapped him to serve as interim on the same day the council fired Swanson.

Swanson had been one of three finalists for the permanent position in Battle Ground, but she already had purchased a house in Battle Ground to avoid the long commute from her former residence in Silver Lake.

She waived her right to challenge her Longview termination but still has pending claims agains the city of Longview alleging gender discrimination and breach of contract.

In late winter, dozens of former city managers, council members, former Longview mayors and city staff came to her defense when it became apparent the new council majority was set on sacking her. A rash of staff resignations have followed her ouster, jeopardized funding for a host of public works projects and subjecting the city to a growing number of costs, including for legal defense, severance packages and hiring of contract expertise. (More on this tomorrow also.)

Swanson has had more than three decades of experience in government, many as Cowlitz County Auditor.

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.

As city manager, Swanson also served as finance director, as her city manager predecessor, Kurt Sacha, already had done.

Swanson had won stellar reviews in her only council evaluation in August, rating her more than 4 on a 1-5 scale in 10 of 11 skill areas. The council dinged her slightly over a need for better communications.

Her opponents unfairly blamed her for a discrimination lawsuit filed by two Asian-American employees that the city’s insurance carrier settled for about $1 million. The city did not admit fault and did not “lose” the suit. Her adversaries also groused that the former council promoted her to city manager without a search. At the time, council members said she was clearly well suited and qualified to be city manager.

Battle Ground’s decision to keep her aboard certainly seems to validate that judgment.