County Manager Ramiro Chavez has resigned effective October 5 to become the City of Tacoma’s new public works director.
In a two-to-one vote, the Thurston Board of County Commissioners is elevating Assistant County Manager and Budget Director Robin Campbell to become the interim county manager.
The Board of County Commissioners appoints the county manager and leads the county departments.
Campbell joined Thurston County in 2010 after working as Budget Operations Manager at the Department of Social and Health Services, Budget Assistant to Governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire, and Interim Director of Governor Gregoire’s Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) program, according to her LinkedIn profile. Campbell will receive a 10% pay increase on her current salary of $176,220 until the county hires a permanent manager, a county representative told The JOLT today.
Tacoma and Pierce County are familiar to Chavez. Prior to joining Thurston County as public works director in August 2014, Chavez spent 23 years as an engineer and manager with Pierce County Public Works. He became Thurston County Manager in February 2017. His job currently pays $210,000 per year.
Salaries for some positions in Tacoma government are significantly higher than comparable positions in other areas throughout the state.
Tacoma, with a population of approximately 219,000, is about 46% larger than the unincorporated areas of Thurston County (approximately 150,000) and just under three-quarters the size of the entire county (302,000).
Tacoma’s website states that the public works director leads a team of 300 employees and manages a $125 million annual budget.
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TonyW33
Ramiro Chavez has been a remarkable public servant in our county and previously in Pierce County. He guided this county through the political firestorms that developed in 2018 and continued for three years or so. Always a balanced and inspiring leader with no political partisanship apparent in his choices. I would bet that he will be very happy to return to the kind of planning and implementation that an engineer loves, and with less political infighting than he may experience here in this county.
Rob Gelder was Gary Edwards choice to be interim manager. Mr. Gelder was a Kitsap Commissioner for 12 years and resigned in March to take his current position as one of two assistant county managers here. He's no RWNJ and will probably will serve Thurston County well as an assistant to the new county manager while becoming familiar with this county. Maybe later he can step into the larger role, but not immediately please.
Friday, September 8, 2023 Report this
Madeline_Bishop
I'm sad that Ramiro Chavez has resigned but I wish him well in his new position.
I wholeheartedly support Robin Campbell as the new Interim County Manager. Robin has proven outstanding ability in her service to the County. I've watched many BoCC meetings where she provided detailed testimony and made difficult financial questions very clear.
Both Ramiro and Robin have been unfailingly polite and helpful in answering questions and helping residents.
Friday, September 8, 2023 Report this
Franklinspeaking
This article highlights two great things. First Ramiro leaving and second the significant difference in between Thurston county and pierce county. It just have been nice for Ramiro to be making a sky high salary of $210,000 annually meanwhile he is the sole reason his employees have not been paid a COLA this year due to his desire to only pay a 2.5% COLA to union employees in the County. Thurston county did a compensation study which was all fluff since the information found did not say that thurston county was low in paying their employees. In fact. It says the pay here is pretty competitive. However based on this article and every other person knows that pierce county pays significantly more, when they have the same cost of living. Thurston county refuses to recognize that for their own selfish benefit. Employees are rallying and trying to be heard but it seems they don’t care. Ramiro being the leader of the dont care band about how much the employees are suffering financially due to the lack in COLA raises since the inflation rates have been so high. Employee in Thurston county is LOSING money staying in their positions and a COLA of 2.5% is nothing when the inflation for this year ALONE is 8%. Employees are now forced to leave Thurston county due to lack of pay and and frankly lack of good leadership. If employees aren’t leaving they are forced to get second jobs to make ends meet. Meanwhile , Ramiro has been enjoying his HUGE salary of $210,000 and now moving to Tacoma to make even MORE. He needed to be gone. This man was controlling and tone deaf when it came to the needs of his employee at Thurston county. The employees are happy and excited to see him finally gone. Hopefully they find a new County manager who actually cares and LISTENS to his employees to make GOOD change for them. Otherwise this county will just continue to LOSE good employees.
Friday, September 15, 2023 Report this