Monroe council confirms interim city administrator

The Monroe City Council moved to confirm Mayor Geoffrey Thomas’ appointment of David Moseley to serve as the interim city administrator while the city engages in a recruitment process to locate a permanent replacement for Gene Brazel.

Brazel recently announced he accepted a city administrator position in Lake Stevens, after more than 30 years with the city of Monroe. His last day will be Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Moseley was sworn in on Tuesday, Dec. 20, and will serve for 90-120 days, based on a contract with Issaquah recruiting firm Prothman. Moseley is currently semi-retired, with 40 years of municipal experience, including as a city manager and city administrator. Thomas said the city interviewed four candidates, of which Moseley was the most qualified based on previous city administrator experience.

Moseley is a Prothman employee who will work under the mayor’s direct supervision. 

“I appreciated the opportunity to sit down and speak with Mr. Moseley,” Thomas said. “I think that he would do very well in the interim, as we are looking for a permanent city administrator.” 

Moseley will receive $90 an hour for his services, which will be paid monthly. The money will impact the city’s General Fund.

The contract with Prothman includes a professional fee of $18,500, plus expenses to conduct the recruitment process for a permanent city administrator. The fee covers consulting, staff time, correspondence, on-site meetings, resume review, background checks, semi-finalist candidate interviews and all other aspects of the recruitment process.  

The contract includes a one-year guarantee, so if the individual is terminated or resigns within one year of the employment date, Prothman will conduct a replacement search for no additional professional fee. The city would still be responsible for expenses.

Prothman was founded in 2001 by President Greg Prothman. It boasts more than 450 successful municipal placements, including the neighboring communities of Duvall, Sultan, Woodinville, Stanwood and Bothell. It was Prothman that handled the recruiting process for the city of Lake Stevens, which hired Brazel in November. 

Moseley’s work experience includes a position as the assistant secretary for the Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division, city manager at Federal Way and Ellensburg and town administrator in Steilacoom.

Moseley said that in the course of being considered for the interim position, he conducted research into city activities. He said he was extremely impressed with the stability of the city’s management core, including the mayor, city administrator and department directors, along with the cooperative spirit of the councilmembers. 

“I look forward to working with you,” Moseley said.