Franklin County’s outgoing administrator is a finalist for a high profile new job
Franklin County is expected to reach an agreement to amicably end its administrator’s contract this week, but he’s already in the running for a new gig.
The City of Yakima announced Monday that Franklin County Administrator Mike Gonzalez is one of three finalists to be their next city manager. He’ll join the other finalists for interviews and a community meet and greet next week, according to a news release from the city.
The other finalists are Wellton, Ariz. Town Manager Richard Marsh, Jr. and Yakima Valley Conference of Governments Deputy Director Vicki Baker.
Gonzalez told the Herald that he was excited about the city’s vision.
“I’m really excited about the potential opportunity to lead the City of Yakima,” he said. “I’ve been on the ground for several days talking with city staff, the development and small business community. I’ve always loved Yakima and I believe incredible things are ahead. The city council has a great vision and I am the person that can execute that.”
The meet and greet is set for Monday, July 1 at the Yakima Convention Center at 6 p.m. They’ll be interviewed by the Yakima City Council the following day.
Gonzalez has been with Franklin County since March 2023. Before that he was the City of Pasco’s Economic Development Manager and a Public Relations Director for Franklin PUD. Prior to moving into local government work, Gonzalez was a journalist and news anchor.
He was the news director for KAPP/KVEW ABC before leaving Tri-Cities and Yakima to take a job at a station in Phoenix, Ariz.
Yakima’s city council terminated the contract of its former city manager Bob Harrison in January, according to the news release.
Since then retired Pasco City Manager Dave Zabell has served as interim city manager. He did not apply for the permanent city manager position. Zabell is expected to stay on until a new city manager is hired.
Franklin County crossfire
Since January, Gonzalez has been caught in the crossfire of a criminal investigation into whether several Franklin County elected officials broke the law in an alleged attempt to manipulate a payment and then stop the criminal investigation that was opened to look into it.
The commissioners announced last week that they were moving to reach a mutual agreement to end his contract.
Gonzalez was given whistleblower protection when the investigation began, and secretly recorded a meeting in which Commission Chairman Rocky Mullen and Auditor Matt Beaton tried to convince him to write a letter to investigators saying he had misunderstood what happened, and end the investigation.
In the audio, which was obtained by the Herald via Washington Public Records request, Beaton repeatedly said he was acting at the direction of Commissioner Clint Didier.
A special prosecutor is reviewing the investigation, which was done by Benton and Franklin County sheriff investigators, who looked into whether Mullen, Beaton and Didier committed official misconduct, witness tampering, criminal conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement officials.
Since the investigation began the courthouse has been plagued by reports of concerning behavior by elected officials, including shouting matches and attempts to undermine the investigation. Last week Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond publicly warned elected officials that it’s illegal to conceal carry a gun in the courthouse or change locks on their offices.
