Ken Klein to be appointed Snohomish administrator

Published 1:27 pm Monday, December 22, 2025

EVERETT — Snohomish Mayor-elect Aaron Hoffman announced Wednesday his intent to appoint Ken Klein as the city’s next administrator pending council confirmation in January, a press release said.

Since 2017, Klein — an Arlington resident — has served as a Snohomish County executive director in Executive Dave Somers’ office. Before that, he served on the County Council for three years and on the Arlington City Council for two.

State law does not require city administrators be residents of the city within which they serve.

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve the City of Snohomish and thankful to Mayor-Elect Hoffman for inviting me to join his team,” Klein said in the release.

“I believe Ken’s experience, temperament, and collaborative approach will be a strong asset to both City staff and the community,” Hoffman said in the release. “I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff. My goal is to build on the strong foundation of professionalism and experience with clarity, teamwork, and mutual respect.

The current Snohomish city administrator earned $17,277 a month in 2025 and will earn $17,622 starting in 2026, according to the Human Resources Director Rebekah Park.

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the city administrator would earn $18,185 in 2026. The administrator who served before Ken Klein would have received a 2% cost-of-living adjustment if she had stayed in the position. The new salary would have been around $17,622.