Community hears from city manager finalists at public meet-and-greet

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 19, 2026

A meet-and-greet that included a question-and-answer session was held at Bainbridge Island City Hall June 17 for the two finalists who are being considered for the city manager position.

The finalists, John Mauro and Jeff Niten, are both currently city managers in Western Washington municipalities. Mauro has served as Port Townsend city manager since 2019 and Niten has performed the same role for the city of Mountlake Terrace since 2023 and was previously Shelton’s city manager. Mauro has also served as chief sustainability officer for Auckland Council in New Zealand and as a policy analyst in the Seattle Mayor’s Office.

Whoever is chosen will replace interim city manager Ellen Schroer, who has been serving in that capacity since previous city manager Blair King retired in March. The Bainbridge Island City Council will make a decision on the next city manager later this summer.

Bainbridge Island operates under a council-manager form of government, in which the council is responsible for hiring and overseeing the city manager, who serves as the organization’s chief executive officer and reports directly to the council. City staff report to the city manager.

The evening provided residents with an opportunity to hear directly from the finalists and learn more about their backgrounds, leadership philosophies and vision for the community. Questions ranged from why the finalists enjoy Bainbridge Island to how they build trust with the community.

“I’ve always been drawn to this place,” shared Mauro when asked what brought him to Bainbridge Island. “It’s an unusual town like Port Townsend; it’s got a special appeal and uniqueness. The maritime, forested quality of life is really irresistible, and I’m interested in complexity, new challenges and keeping myself really active and learning.”

Niten, on the other hand, shared that he grew up in the military, constantly moving around and not considering himself to have planted roots anywhere. “What drew me to western Washington in particular was the maritime environment, the trees and the environmental protection,” he said.

Both finalists emphasized their preference for one-on-one engagement with community members in order to build trust and relationships. “I enjoy talking and engaging with people one-on-one,” said Niten. “Especially on topics that could be somewhat difficult to discuss, it’s important to be open, honest and transparent about the recommendations or position that I have, and to have an open mind to be willing to change based on that information.”

“A lot of people are kind of intimidated to come into city hall, but one of the most effective methods that I found is to invite people and make them feel welcome,” Niten continued. He shared that in Mountlake Terrace, he participates in what he calls ‘Terrace Talk,’ a presentation followed by time for conversation with him and the city. “I think the most important piece is just being visible and available to people in the community and having people know who I am,” he said.

Mauro shared a similar perspective. While in a city manager position during the pandemic, Mauro shared that it was difficult to connect with others in person. To solve that issue, he took conversation to the radio, where he had a station dedicated to speaking with city council and staff, and he still continues it to this day. “We can continue to do a better job at welcoming people in,” he said. “I also think we need to meet people where they are. Engagement, trust and transparency is a relationship; you need to have that iterative process where we can actively listen.”

When asked how the finalists would ensure community voices are heard and considered, Niten and Mauro continued to highlight the importance of trust and relationships.

“You have to go out and speak with people where they are,” Niten reiterated. “When I see a problem, there’s a way that I am going to address it, but that isn’t always the right way. There could be a better way or idea, but if we don’t go out and ask people, we’ll never have better ideas.”

When balancing community members’ opinions and decision-making, Mauro shared the struggles that many residents go through regarding keeping tabs on city business. “When we have a council meeting on Monday nights at 6 p.m., which sometimes ends at midnight, that is not a time when a family with small children can participate,” he said. “It’s not possible for someone working a long shift to engage; we can do a better job at making sure that a broad diversity of voices are heard in decision-making.”

Another widespread issue on Bainbridge Island that residents wanted the finalists to address included the ongoing pressures related to housing, growth, environmental protection and preservation of community character. Niten and Mauro agreed that people move to Bainbridge Island because of what the city has already created, mixed with the hometown character. However, Mauro pointed out the people who keep that charm alive. “There’s character, and there’s the characters who make a community,” he said. “You balance climate protection and resilience alongside thinking not just about the needs now, but generations to come.”

Starting in 2027, the city will do an annual budget process. Defining the financial success and building each budget according to that is a step in the right direction and has aided Port Townsend in meeting needs, Mauro shared.

In response to the same question, Niten shared the importance of identifying problems that you have and that you can reasonably foresee over the coming years. “You have to be able to plan for major expenditures for major infrastructure projects,” he said. “Getting ahead of those, making sure you know what the costs are, especially with inflation, is important.”

Niten once again emphasized trust in the process of balancing needs and resources for the city. “If citizens don’t trust how we’re handling money, they’re not going to trust a lot of other things. Fixing that problem first is one of the most important jobs…making sure finances are done well,” he said.

Being proactive continued in what Mauro shared as well, in knowing that enough flexibility, creative problem solving and dialogue will get the city to something truly greater than the sum of its parts, he shared.

“What we can do is build consensus around a shared vision or shared ideal of what we want to achieve,” said Niten when asked about the importance of collaboration. “Then, we facilitate that discussion on what steps we need to take in order to achieve that outcome. For local government, whether it’s city council or special service districts, you cannot succeed building on your own in the best interest of your community.”

When asked what one thing every great community should have, Mauro said a stable, responsible, transparent local government and Niten said a great parks system. Additionally, both finalists shared that they are coffee drinkers, fitting right in with islanders.