GRANITE FALLS — An employee who has helped run the city for six years is being hired as the first ever Granite Falls city manager.
The City Council hired Brent Kirk as manager and set the 2016 budget he’ll be working with during their Dec. 16 meeting.
Kirk starts the new job Jan. 1. He’s currently the city administrator and public works director, and will continue to serve a dual role as manager and public works director.
Kirk sees his role as city manager “as someone willing to listen to the overall needs of the community.” He wants to make sure the city’s finances are well-managed and help leaders and staff plan for growth.
The city agreed to pay Kirk $95,148 a year, according to the employment contract. That’s $12,000 more than he makes as city administrator and public works director. The $12,000 is coming from what would have been the mayor’s $1,000-a-month salary.
Granite Falls hasn’t had a city manager before. Voters in November approved a measure to change the form of government in the city of 3,500. They’re swapping an elected mayor for a hired manager supervised by the five-person City Council.
Kirk, 46, started in Granite Falls as public works supervisor in 2009. He lives in Lake Stevens.
His employment agreement calls for performance evaluations at least once a year and outlines actions, such as neglecting duties or being convicted of certain crimes, that would be “just cause” for immediate termination. A selling point for those in favor of changing the city’s government from a strong mayor to a council-manager form was that, if there are problems, it would be easier for the council to get rid of a manager than for voters to impeach a mayor.
Along with hiring Kirk, the City Council approved a 2016 budget. They voted unanimously in favor of a $9.7 million total budget. That includes a $2.43 million general fund with $738,000 in cash reserves.
That’s a big change for the city, which in 2010 had to borrow $350,000 from the water fund to cover basic operating expenses in the overdrawn general fund. The water fund has since been paid back and the city has started rebuilding reserves.
The largest single expense in the general fund is $570,000 for a contract with the sheriff’s office for police services. The fund includes the planning department, administration, financial management and parks, as well.
City leaders also passed the first Granite Falls Transportation Benefit District budget on Wednesday. The City Council created the benefit district in April and acts as the board of directors. In June, they approved a new $20 vehicle licensing fee for people who live in Granite Falls. The fee takes effect Jan. 1.
The budget estimates $50,010 in revenue from the new fee. The money is to be used for asphalt overlays to maintain city streets.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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