At a May 25^th special meeting, the Yakima City Council unanimously approved a contract with Cliff Moore, under which Moore will become the next Yakima City Manager.  Moore’s first official day on the job will be Monday, July 18^th.

As part of the agreement, Moore will be paid $170,000 a year.  If the other non-union management employees of the City receive pay raises after the first year of Moore’s tenure as city manager, his base compensation will be increased commensurately.  The City Council could also choose to increase Moore’s compensation after completion of periodic performance reviews, which will occur three months after Moore begins his tenure and thereafter on or near the anniversary of his hire date.

Moore has been Thurston County manager since 2013.  His executive experience also includes serving as director of Thurston County’s Department of Resource Stewardship (2009-2013) and director of the WSU Cooperative Extension office in Thurston County (2004-2009).

Moore was one of four finalists who were in Yakima earlier this month for a public reception and a round of interviews with both the Council and a panel of community members.  The finalist pool also included current Othello City Administrator Wade Farris, Mike Jackson, who most recently served as Spokane Valley’s city manager, and Ruth Ozona, who is currently an Assistant city manager in Brownsville, Texas.

In January of this year, the City Council launched a process to find a replacement for Tony O’Rourke, who served as Yakima city manager from July 2012 through December 2015.  From a total of 20 applicants, The Prothman Company, the executive search firm hired by the Council to recruit city manager candidates, presented the Yakima Council with a pool of eight semi-finalists.  During an April 25^th executive session, the City Council reviewed the semi-finalist pool, and then selected the four finalists during its May 3^rd business meeting.

Following interviews on May 10^th, the City Council held an executive session to discuss the qualifications of the four finalists.  After the executive session, the Council voted unanimously during an open public meeting to enter into negotiations with Moore.