Mayor Of Seattle Suburb Visits Evanston To Research Bobkiewicz

EVANSTON, IL — The mayor of the Seattle suburb where Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz is a finalist to become city administrator said comments from residents have so far favored him. But, according to Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly, a few people have raised concerns over a civil rights lawsuit alleging racial discrimination settled in 2017.

Pauly said she is completing follow-ups to look into the backgrounds of both finalists — Bobkiewicz and Marty Wine, the city manager of Tigard, Oregon. The candidates last month visited Issaquah, a rapidly growing city of about 40,000 in King County, Washington. They spoke to residents and councilmembers and got a tour of the city and attended an open house with city staff, according to an update from Pauly.

"I want to tell you how much I appreciate the time that everyone took to engage and the very thoughtful comments that I received," Pauly said at the City Council's Aug. 5 meeting. "I'm still continuing on my due diligence work for this hire and I will be bringing council up to date on what I'm learning and am hopeful to have an appointment for council consideration of confirmation in the next few weeks."

Pauly reported 25 participants in the community open house provided feedback, along with nearly 30 staff members and every member of the City Council. After both candidates visited Washington for the July 25 meetings, Issaquah's mayor said she held in-person meetings in Evanston.

"As part of my due diligence, following the community and staff meetings I elected to do a site visit to Evanston and do additional research in Wally's current community by connecting with community members, Council, staff and senior leadership. I am strongly encouraged by what I observed," Pauly said, providing a summary of responses. "I believe Wally Bobkiewicz shares my values and those of the Issaquah community. I was impressed by the evidence of Wally's leadership and how his team reflects the community they serve. "

The Issaquah mayor addressed concerns over the federal lawsuit filed in 2016 by former Evanston Public Works Director Suzette Robinson against Bobkiewicz, as well as Human Resources Division Manager Jennifer Lin and former Corporation Counsel Grant Farrar. In November 2017, the Evanston City Council voted 6-3 to pay $500,000 to settle the litigation without admitting wrongdoing after a judge found Robinson had alleged insufficient facts to establish that Lin and Farrar had retaliated against her but allowed some of the complaints against the city manager to move forward.

According to the Issaquah Reporter, a local newspaper, state audits for the last four years have had significant errors. In each report, the Washington State Auditor's Office has described its controls over preparation of its financial statements as "inadequate to ensure accurate and complete financial reporting," according to a March 22 report.

On March 25, the following Monday, Issaquah City Administrator Emily Moon announced her plans to resign in a statement on the city's website. Moon, 45, said she planned to "pursue a long-held dream to travel extensively" and "fulfill a promise made to my family years ago, and to learn and grow through this next adventure." Her final day on the job is Aug. 7.

Local government sources told the Issaquah Reporter the city's work culture was "toxically dysfunctional" and warned that "things are going to start really going wrong," the paper reported in June. The city is in its fourth finance director in the past three years and recently has had its final senior accountant resign, according to the Reporter, which noted the audits have not found evidence of any successful fraud but did find millions in incorrect filings.

The Issaquah City Council is expected to vote on confirmation of the mayor's appointment to the city administrator job before the end of August, according to the mayor.

Earlier: City Manager Picked Among 2 Finalists For Job In Washington State