Selection of New City Clerk Announced

Yakima City Manager Bob Harrison announced today that longtime City employee Rosalinda Ibarra has been selected to fill the position of city clerk once the current city clerk, Sonya Claar Tee, retires in June.

“Rosalinda has been an outstanding part of the City team for many years,” said Harrison.  “The city clerk position is a key part of the City’s senior staff and I am confident Rosalinda will continue the great work Sonya has done to make the clerk’s office as efficient and effective as possible.”

“I’m excited about taking on this new challenge in my career,” said Ibarra.  “I look forward to working with the staff in the city clerk’s office and the entire City.”

Ibarra will begin training for the city clerk’s position on March 13th when she officially joins the clerk’s office.  Claar Tee will retire after more than 30 years with the City on June 22nd.

Ibarra graduated from Sunnyside High School in 2002.  She attended Heritage University and focused on general college studies.

Ibarra was hired by the City in 2005 as a bilingual department assistant in the Public Works Department.  In 2007, she was promoted to a traffic sign specialist.  That same year, Ibarra was again promoted, this time to a planning technician position in the Community Development Department.  In 2009, she was promoted to a planning specialist position and, in 2013, was promoted to her current position, community development administrative assistant. 

Claar Tee first joined the City in 1992 as a department assistant in the Utility Services Division.  In 1994, she joined the city manager’s office and served in a variety of roles before being promoted to the deputy city clerk position in 2011.  The next year, she was promoted to the city clerk position.

“Sonya has been an invaluable asset to the City of Yakima for more than three decades,” said Harrison.  “She will be deeply missed.  We wish her all the best in her retirement.”

Rosalinda Ibarra