Yakima City Council Decides On Next Interim City Manager

After speaking with two interim Yakima City Manager candidates on Tuesday the Yakima City Council voted 4-3 to ask Alex Meyerhoff to become the interim city manager. Former city manager Cliff Moore left the city in August for a new job Washington State University Extension director in Jefferson County.
Yakima Senior Assistant Attorney Cynthia Martinez was appointed to serve as a temporary interim city manager. Now city officials are hoping Meyerhoff will take the interim job. Meyerhoff comes with nearly 30 years of work in government as the former city manager-executive director in Holville, Hemet and San Fernando California. Talks with Meyerhoff will begin as soon as possible.
City spokesman Randy Beehler says it's an "interim" city manager position because the city wants to be prepared for a possible ballot measure next year that could ask voters to make a change from the city manager form of government to a strong mayor form of government. Beehler says the city would have had a tough time attracting candidates for a city manager position if there was a possibility of a change. Depending on the outcome of the ballot measure, which hasn't been confirmed but is being considered the council would then have to make another decision concerning the future of the city manager position.