Editorial: Low-balling search for county CEO was mistake

The Spokesman-Review has endorsed Todd Mielke in his every race for office going back to legislative contests in the early 1990s, and his three successful campaigns for Spokane County commissioner.

Aside from his support for the very ill-advised 2008 county purchase of Spokane Raceway Park, Mielke has proved himself an able legislator and commissioner; a Republican able to work with Democrats to solve problems, and someone able to grasp the wonkier aspects of public policy.

Mielke was a natural candidate to succeed, if not replace, the inestimable Marshall Farnell as county chief executive officer when he announced his intention to step down. And it was just as natural that any search for other candidates would be suspect – “contrived,” according to former commissioner Bonnie Mager – if his name surfaced among those of the finalists for the position.

It did, as the top choice between the two candidates submitted to the other two county commissioners, Al French and Shelly O’Quinn. They interviewed Mielke and Richard L. Davis, former city manager of West Jordan, Utah, on Wednesday.

A decision is expected later this month.

Everybody will be a loser, no matter the decision.

Pick Davis, and Mielke misses a probable one-time opportunity to get the job he has wanted for some time, and possibly erodes the relationships among the commissioners. Pick Mielke, and there will be claims the selection process was rigged, reflecting badly on French and O’Quinn.

It may, but should not, taint the reputations of those who sorted through the short list of finalists. Every one of them is an executive or former executive in business or the public sector who ranked their selections independently. Their integrity is unquestioned.

The doubts originate in a low-ball search. The position was advertised relatively broadly, but the county chose to avoid hiring a headhunter with a broader reach, better knowledge of the potential candidates and objectivity about Mielke.

In its search for a new director, the Spokane Regional Health District spent $32,000 for an outside recruiter’s services. The Spokane School District invested $25,000 for help finding a superintendent. The county spent all of $2,500.

Although there were many applicants – 84 – the public does not have access to all those names. Washington open meetings laws, like most, exempt personnel matters, in part to protect the privacy of candidates who do not want their current employers to know they are job-hunting. So, except for Davis, we do not know the qualifications of those passed over for interviews.

Mielke is qualified. If O’Quinn and French pass over Mielke to hire Davis, his credentials must be impressive.

But, were they the best available? The public fusses when money is spent on recruiters or consultants, but the extra cost to identify candidates for a position that pays $160,000 would have given the public more assurance no one was overlooked.

Because Farnell will be a tough act to follow.