During a special meeting this afternoon, the Yakima City Council unanimously approved a separation agreement with City Manager Tony O’Rourke. Under the agreement, O’Rourke’s last day on the job will be December 31st and he will receive severance equal to four months of his base pay. City medical and life insurance benefits will also be provided to O’Rourke for four months following his departure. The separation agreement can be found on the City of Yakima website by clicking on the link at the bottom of this news release.
O’Rourke was hired as Yakima City Manager in July 2012. Before coming to Yakima, O’Rourke had served as city manager in South Lake Tahoe, California. Before that he was the executive director of Beaver Creek Resort Company, a private corporation that operates an alpine resort community. O’Rourke has also held several other positions in city government, including as the city manager of Coral Springs, Florida.
At a special meeting last Friday, the Council named current Yakima City Attorney Jeff Cutter as the interim city manager effective November 1st. Cutter will work side by side with O’Rourke through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. Cutter came to work for the City in 1997 as a prosecutor, was promoted to senior assistant city attorney in 2005, and was chosen to be city attorney in 2009.
At last Friday’s special meeting, the Council also decided to establish a committee of newly elected Council members to determine how the search for a permanent replacement for O’Rourke will take place. In addition to incumbents Kathy Coffey (District 5), Maureen Adkison (District 6), and Bill Lover (District 4), newcomers Dulce Gutiérrez (District 1), Avina Gutiérrez (District 2), Carmen Méndez (District 3), and Holly Cousens (District 7) were elected in the November 3rd General Election.
The process of selecting a new city manager could take several months to complete. The newly-elected Council members, who take office as of the first of the year, will ultimately choose the next Yakima city manager.
Yakima City Manager Separation Agreement
Yakima City Council Approves City Manager Separation Agreement – News Release