Shoreline manager coming to Snohomish

By Jennifer Langston

Herald Writer

SNOHOMISH — Larry Bauman, assistant city manager for Shoreline for the last six years, has been named the new city manager of Snohomish.

The city council chose Bauman from a nationwide field of 51 candidates to run the city’s daily affairs.

Snohomish Mayor Cameron Bailey said he was most impressed by Bauman’s enthusiasm for his work and experience.

"I think it was a pretty easy decision for us. He was quite clearly our No. 1 choice," he said.

Bauman will start his job on May 28. He will earn $86,000 a year in the city’s top management position.

Bauman said he is interested in working in Snohomish because the city has a unique identity and extraordinary involvement from its citizens.

He took his job in Shoreline just months after the fledgling city incorporated in 1996, when residents were just figuring out what they wanted the city to be, he said.

"The heritage that Snohomish has and the sense of place that Snohomish has developed over the years is very different and very attractive," he said. "I think it really represents the best kind of small-town atmosphere in many ways."

Bill McDonald, who had been city manager in Snohomish for more than four years, left his job in October to pursue educational opportunities.

Bauman, as assistant city manager in Shoreline, helped oversee a staff of about 120 people and an operating budget of $27 million. He also served as Shoreline’s interim city manager for half a year.

Bauman said he’s looking forward to helping Snohomish develop a riverfront trail system to enhance its historic downtown. Shoreline shares part of an interurban trail that connects to Seattle.

Bauman also said he had experience with several annexations in Shoreline — one of the biggest issues facing Snohomish in the near term.

Bauman, 50, holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York.

Before switching to city government, he worked as a newspaper reporter and as a press secretary to former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta when he was a congressman.

Snohomish Mayor Bailey said Bauman’s energy level definitely set him apart from the field.

"When you’re looking at folks, maybe some are looking to wind down their career, others are looking to move up. I felt he was one of the latter — very excited in taking the top job," he said.

You can call Herald Writer Jennifer Langston at 425-339-3452 or send e-mail to langston@heraldnet.com.

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