The city of Langley’s administrative structure could soon be changing.

Langley is now accepting applications for a city administrator/clerk, a new role that was given the seal of approval by the majority of the city council this week.

The new position supervises administrative affairs and processes of the city, serves as human resources officer for the city, prepares and administers the city budget, maintains city records, manages city information technology and works closely with the mayor, city council and finance director, among other duties listed on the five-page job description. The annual salary is a range between $94,000 and $118,000.

The council held a robust discussion on the topic Monday night, during which a second and final reading of an ordinance finalizing the new position took place.

Councilmember Thomas Gill stood in opposition to the ordinance, which he said felt like it was being pushed as if it were a foregone conclusion.

“This is a huge change and sets up a lot of challenges that I don’t think we should be rushing into,” he said.

Gill said the city’s Finance and Personnel Commission, which originally handed down the recommendation for the new role, is not unanimous in its members’ desire to change the structure of the city’s administration. When he asked members of the citizen-led committee in private why the issue is being pushed, he said the reason was concerning and too “embarrassing” to share with the council.

In addition to advocating for more outreach to the public about the change, Gill also suggested changing language in the ordinance from “shall” to “may,” which he said would make the position an option for the mayor to consider, not a requirement. The mayor of Langley is currently paid an annual salary of $55,000 and presides over day-to-day operations of the city.

Councilmember Harolynne Bobis also wondered if the position was something the public truly wanted.

“I, personally, would feel better about this if I thought that the citizens understood what we were doing and why and agreed,” she said.

Councilmember Craig Cyr, however, argued that the issue shouldn’t be anything new to citizens. He pointed to previous articles in the South Whidbey Record as well as the convenience of joining a city council meeting through Zoom.

“During COVID, it couldn’t be easier to click into a city council meeting and listen to the discussion and make a comment,” he said. “It’s far easier now than it ever was. We are elected to make the changes we think need to be made.”

He also profoundly disagreed with Gill’s friendly amendment, of changing “shall” to “may.”

“We need an administrator, a professional administrator running this city, somebody that can keep the trains running on time,” he said, adding that the city doesn’t want to receive management letters and findings related to insufficient controls, as it has in the past.

Only Gill and Bobis supported Gill’s amendment, which failed 2-3.

Councilmember Rhonda Salerno said it’s hard enough to find someone who lives within Langley who really wants to be mayor and that people might be more willing to run for election if the city had consistent administration.

“We’re not changing any structure, we’re trying to make our city function more, and I really believe that the people of Langley really want us to do that,” she said.

Gill questioned why the additional position of city administrator is needed, when in the past the “continuity” he’s heard mentioned in this discussion has been the combined roles of the city clerk and finance director. The city recently hired a new finance director.

Chris Carlson, the chairperson of the Finance and Personnel Commission, explained that the role of city administrator extends beyond clerking duties and listed some of the responsibilities included in the job description.

In addition, he said the role allows the city to hire a full-time staff person that will ensure continuity across administrations and doesn’t have to live within city limits.

“You get a broader pool of talent that can fulfill those duties,” Carlson said.

Mayor Scott Chaplin weighed in on the issue to agree that consistency is important. Since he became mayor in 2021, Chaplin said, he discovered that several city records were not in order and that Langley was not following its own investment policy, losing tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars every year.

Only one member of the public spoke during the meeting on the issue. Leanne Finlay echoed Gill’s sentiments that the decision seemed rushed. She urged the council to table the discussion until Finance Director Wanda Grone returns from vacation.

In the end, the motion to approve the ordinance passed in a 3-1 vote, with Gill voting in opposition. Bobis abstained from the vote because she didn’t understand why the ordinance needed to be passed now.

Candidates interested in applying for the city administrator/clerk position are encouraged to submit a cover letter and resume via email to Chaplin at mayor@langleywa.org.