Health chief job declined

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, December 12, 2006

EVERETT – A physician selected to take over the Snohomish Health District has told the public health agency that he has accepted another job instead.

Last month, Dr. Eric Frykman, head of the San Bernardino County, Calif., public health department, told the health district he would accept their offer to be Snohomish County’s top public health official.

He was to replace Dr. M. Ward Hinds, who is retiring,

Although Frykman’s annual salary was announced at $150,000 a year, final details of the contract had not been formally approved. That was scheduled to happen during Tuesday’s health district board meeting.

Instead, County Council member Gary Nelson, who also serves this year as chairman of the health district board, announced that Frykman had declined the offer.

Nelson said Frykman was approached by California’s Riverside County Department of Public Health “with a compensation package that surpassed our offering” by approximately $40,000.

Nelson said family issues also played a role in Frykman’s decision.

Frykman’s selection was announced by the health district on Nov. 20, but details of his contract weren’t worked out until Dec. 1, Nelson said.

Nelson said Frykman contacted him about his change of plans on Dec. 5. However, Frykman’s decision was not publicly disclosed until Tuesday.

The health district board gave Nelson approval to begin negotiations with another candidate to take over as the agency’s top official.

Hinds will stay on as health officer for the short term, as long as through Feb. 28, according to an agreement approved on Tuesday.

Hinds, who now makes $131,784 a year, will be paid what Frykman would have been paid if he had accepted the job. That means Hinds will get a pay boost of $1,048 a month, Nelson said.