Spokane County CEO finalists interviewed; no decision made

Todd Mielke preached experience and Rick Davis pitched a more unified approach between Spokane County and the cities within its borders at interviews conducted Wednesday to determine who will be the county’s next chief executive.

Commissioners Al French and Shelly O’Quinn declined Wednesday to make a choice between the two men, instead deferring to later this month the decision to pick who will take over Marshall Farnell’s job in June. The 90-minute public interviews took place as the selection process has come under fire for a lack of transparency after Mielke, a sitting county commissioner, was identified as the front-runner by a panel of business leaders selected by French and O’Quinn.

Read the resume submitted by Todd Mielke here.

Read the resume submitted by Richard L. Davis here.

After his interview Wednesday, Davis – who most recently served as city manager in West Jordan, Utah – said he wasn’t worried about the personal relationship between his potential employers and his rival for the CEO job.

“Your attitude going into a recruitment like this is that the playing field is even, and I have a really great shot at being selected,” Davis said.

French and O’Quinn said they were impressed with several of Davis’ answers, particularly about his involvement with bringing the Boeing Co. to West Jordan and efforts to reduce taxpayer costs through lean management strategies similar to ones already in place in Spokane County. He said his history as a city manager would enable him to talk “eye to eye” with leaders of Spokane County’s 13 municipalities and make sure all governments are on the same page.

Mielke touted his lengthy involvement in county politics, dating to his first election as county commissioner in 2004, and likened his leadership style to a coach on a bench, rather than being in the spotlight.

“I would say that one of the most unique attributes, is I’ve walked in your shoes,” Mielke told his colleagues. “And I don’t mean necessarily as a county commissioner, but as an elected official.”

That trait has drawn criticism from several in the community who have said the process was structured in favor of Mielke. Both French and O’Quinn dismissed those allegations Wednesday, saying they were reviewing a request for an independent investigation into the hiring process by former Spokane County Commissioner Bonnie Mager but that the selection was much more transparent than what the law allows.

“We’ve tried to create a structure that created some community involvement, that created some distance between us as commissioners and the selection process,” French said.

Human Resources Director Cathy Malzahn said applications were received from 84 candidates representing 24 states in the U.S. A request for the names and resumes of all applicants was denied by the county based on state public record laws.

Mielke addressed the public outcry about his selection as a finalist for the job, saying his long tenure in public service has probably created a number of bad headlines that don’t reflect the complexity of government issues.

“If you were reading some of the press in the past 48 hours, I bet that some people will tell you that I was found guilty of violating the state ethic laws,” Mielke said, referring to coverage of the allegations contained in Mager’s request for a formal investigation. “Simply because I, like every other citizen of the United States, decided to apply for this job.”

Davis, too, addressed questions about his past, including his departure from West Jordan in 2014. He resigned amid questions from city officials there about outside consulting work he did with other communities.

Davis told French and O’Quinn his departure from West Jordan was “amicable” and that his leaving had more to do with philosophical differences with community members about the roles of the city manager and the mayor.

“There were a group of community members fiercely behind making the mayor the chief executive officer of the city,” Davis said after his interview. “Their pursuit made it difficult to put any resolutions forward unless I extracted myself from the process.”

On hand for the interviews were a handful of residents, including former Spokane City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin, whose name has been floated as a potential commission replacement if Mielke is selected for the CEO job. She said Wednesday she would apply for the commission seat should Mielke be picked.

If Mielke is selected, his seat would be filled following a process outlined in the state Constitution. The Spokane County Republican Party Central Committee would have 60 days to forward a list of three potential replacements to French and O’Quinn, who would then have five days to select Mielke’s successor from those candidates. If either of those deadlines are not met, Gov. Jay Inslee would select someone to fill the vacancy, according to state law.

Farnell’s replacement will earn an annual salary of about $160,000. The new CEO is expected to start June 15.