MARYSVILLE – In a surprise announcement Thursday, Marysville has hired Paul Roberts, a top official in Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon’s office, as the city’s new public works director.
Roberts, 52, begins his new duties Jan. 3.
“We just feel this is a great fit and a great capture for the city,” Mayor Dennis Kendall said Thursday. “He’s going to be a loss to the county.”
The city needs someone “who had good managerial experience and can bring the (public works department) together and lead it,” said Mary Swenson, Marysville’s chief administrative officer. “We are thrilled to have gotten Paul, and we can’t wait to have him here.”
The move was unexpected because Roberts has worked in county government for less than a year. Before joining the county, Roberts was Everett’s director of community development for 12 years.
The move also means a pay cut for Roberts. He was the fourth-highest paid person on Reardon’s 14-member staff. He was expected to earn a 2005 salary of $120,026. He will earn $109,000 annually in Marysville.
Roberts hasn’t had time yet to study Marysville’s major projects for 2005. “But they have a very good, talented team put together to address that kind of development,” he said.
Roberts said he made the move, in part, for personal reasons.
“This was an important decision for me to make for my family for personal and professional reasons. I’m moving ahead to deal with those issues,” he said.
Roberts’ background and experience in community development and growth management also will help Marysville in its continuing relationship with Snohomish County, Swenson said.
“It’s no secret we’ve moved into more of a regional philosophy and cooperative effort,” Swenson said.
Roberts isn’t a stranger to Marysville leaders. He worked with them in putting together a proposal to bring a NASCAR race track to town. Both sides in the proposed deal eventually ended negotiations.
The county snagged Roberts from his position as Everett’s planning director in December 2003, a major coup for Reardon’s fledgling administration and one that Reardon called a “blue chip” hire.
“Paul played a very important supporting role in the accomplishments of our first year in office, including our balanced budget, our Citizens Cabinet, and 10-year plan and the preparation that went into that,” Reardon said.
“He was a valued member of our team, and I sincerely thank him for his contribution to our county, and I wish him and his family the very best.” Reardon added. “He was a friend before I was elected county executive, he’s a friend now, and he’ll be a friend well into the future.”
Roberts said he enjoyed working on Reardon’s team.
“He has been absolutely great and supportive of me,” Roberts said of Reardon. “He has the guts to make tough decisions and the smarts to make the right ones.”
Robert’s departure is the first major defection from the executive’s team. And it comes at a critical juncture for the county.
Roberts was Reardon’s point man on development issues, an insightful insider on a range of complex land-use laws and policies.
Reardon said he has a short list of candidates to fill Robert’s position.
“We’ll dig into that after the first of the year,” Reardon said.
For now, Roberts will continue to serve on the county’s task force working on Boeing’s 7E7 project as well as a co-chairman of the countywide Base Realignment and Closure Committee, which is part of a regional effort to keep the Navy facilities in Everett, Marysville and Arlington open.
Roberts also is an Everett School District director.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
