WOODLAND — City officials voted to hire Peter Boyce as the permanent, full-time city administrator at last week’s regular Woodland City Council meeting.
Mayor Will Finn recommended Boyce, who was located using an Issaquah-based consulting firm contracted by the city in October to search for candidates for the new executive position.
Boyce most recently worked as city administrator for Gladstone, Ore., a city just south of Portland and home to approximately 11,400 people. He held that position for six and a half years, he said.
Prior to Gladstone, Boyce worked for a short time as Parking Commissioner for the city of Missoula, Montana.
Boyce will begin work immediately. His contract, approved by the city council, includes a monthly salary of $9,750 plus benefits and up to $3,750 for moving expenses.
Per contract, he will be required to live within 20 minutes of Woodland city limits, and he has up to one year to relocate.
City council membersl approved a budget for Boyce’s position in December and hired an interim city administrator, Dennis Richards, to fill the role temporarily. Richards’ last day was Friday, April 29.
“I am very supportive of this decision, and in my mind it’s long overdue,” Council member Benjamin Fredricks said at last week’s council meeting. “I’m hopeful that Mr. Boyce will pay his way, and I’m sure he will.”
Council member Marilee McCall agreed with Fredricks.
“I have been behind this idea for the entire time I’ve been on city council,” said McCall, who has sat on the council for 10 years. “With a part-time mayor, we have people who come forward because they have a concern, and we don’t stay on course with getting some of the things dones that we need to. So I’m very excited.”
Those duties, according to the ordinance approved by the council last fall when they created the new position, include assisting the mayor with administration of city government and overseeing and supervising city departments as directed by the mayor.
Boyce will also act as personnel director responsible for the hiring and discharging of all city employees except police personnel and those required by law to be appointed by the mayor or elected by the voters of the city.
He will also assist with preparing budgets, supervise purchasing, meet with the mayor and city council as often as necessary, and represent the city at meetings as directed by the mayor.
With Boyce’s hire, the city will operate under a city administrator form of government, but it doesn’t change much.
Voters will still select a mayor, who will have the power to hire an administrator with the approval of city council.
In 2009, 72 percent of Woodland voters rejected a proposal to switch to a city manager form of government. Under this system, the city council hires a manager and selects a mayor, who operates primarily as a figurehead.
Bearing that opposition in mind — and citing concerns about how the position will be funded, Council members Jennifer Heffernan and Matt Jacobs were opposed to last week’s appointment of Boyce as city administrator.
“I’m not sure I’m as convinced as my fellow council members that this position is going to solve the issues that the city has,” Heffernan said. “I just want to be the representative of the voice of the people who are not supportive of this position being hired.”
