Transition to a new government begins; Snow to become ‘mayor’

Published 3:13 pm Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Last week, the Kitsap County Auditor certified the May 19 special election that abolished the mayor-council form of government.

Since then, titles and roles have been changing at the city to comply with the new council-manager system.

On June 3, City Administrator Mark Dombroski was sworn in as the new city manager.

On Monday, the council nominated Chris Snow to take over the ritual duties of mayor, which previously belonged to Darlene Kordonowy.

The council will make an official motion to give Snow the mayor position at Wednesday’s council meeting. The council will elect a new mayor in early 2010 after Snow’s council term expires.

Council member Bill Knobloch will likely serve as the deputy mayor, taking the reins when Snow is unavailable.

The position of mayor in a council-manager form of government is largely ceremonial. Snow will take over the role of council facilitator from council chair Kjell Stoknes, and will also sign legislation and ordinances that require a mayor’s signature.

But becoming the mayor also comes with a load of extra work, most notably positions on regional boards.

The issue of appointments to regional boards was first raised when Kordonowy announced she would stay on as the eighth member of the council.

As mayor, Snow will attend regional meetings to help determine which of the 10 positions Kordonowy holds on county boards and governing agencies she could keep and which ones she will have to relinquish.

“It’s going to require more council discussion, but on the surface that sounds like the way it is going to work,” Knobloch said. “Other council members will still weigh in on how it will work.”

Kordonowy was appointed to some of the regional councils, while other positions were offered due to her status as the elected mayor.

“We’re going to find out what the various regional bodies are that she is sitting on, how she has come to sit on those bodies and whether she was appointed or asked to sit on them because she is an elected official,” Snow said. “Assuming I’m elected tomorrow, I will attend all the meetings that are indicated for the mayor.”

Kordonowy is the chair on the Salmon Recovery Council and the Kitsap Transit Board, and vice chair on the board of the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority. She said she would not object to relinquishing her positions on various regional boards, but would serve until the council makes a final decision on representation at the county and regional level.

“Until they know who is replacing me or what the full council wants to do I am going to continue to go to these meetings to represent Bainbridge Island,” Kordonowy said. “I’m not going to arm wrestle the council on this. I’m also happy to work with (Snow) and (Knobloch) on this.”

Tomorrow, Kordonowy will be sworn in as the eighth council member, while Snow will likely execute his first act a mayor – signing an ordinance accepting the results of the May 19 vote for council-manager government.