ARLINGTON – Fire Chief Mike Ganz resigned from the Arlington Fire Department this week, much earlier than expected.
Ganz had told city officials late in 2004 that he would not seek to renew his contract, which expires in August.
He did not say why then, and Friday he again preferred to focus on his accomplishments instead of why he was leaving.
“Performance isn’t an issue here,” Ganz said. A prepared statement by the city echoed that assessment.
Mayor Margaret Larson and interim city administrator Lee Walton could not be reached for comment. Walton told The Herald in December that Ganz was an excellent fire chief but was “not a good fit” in Arlington.
At the time, Ganz said the early notice would give the city time to look for a replacement. It would also give him time to look for another job.
He also said he was open to moving up his final day if the city so desired. That day came Tuesday. Ganz said the decision was reached mutually. He has been applying at other fire districts in the county.
Councilman Dan Anderson said he was disappointed the city seems to be chasing Ganz away. “I think it’s pretty clear he’s resigning because he hasn’t been asked to stay,” Anderson said.
He took issue with previous comments from some council members that Ganz didn’t fit in.
“That makes me grind my teeth,” Anderson said. “He is a wonderful fit anywhere he serves. That’s baloney.”
Anderson said it is outrageous that the city has not listed one specific reason why it didn’t ask Ganz to renew his contract.
Ganz was hired by Mayor Bob Kraski in 2001. He steered the department through a transition from predominantly volunteers to a combination of full-time and paid volunteers. The department now has 23 full-timers, 15 part-timers and 33 volunteers.
Ganz was paid $98,630 a year. He received a severance deal, but terms were not available Friday.
He will be replaced in the interim by deputy chief Tom Cooper, 43, who started with the department as a volunteer in 1985 and became a full-time firefighter in 1991.
Cooper preferred not to comment. He said he had not decided whether to apply for the chief’s position.
Reporter Scott Morris: 425-339-3292 or smorris@heraldnet.com.
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