On Thursday, Mayor William Armacost and his three appointees, Mike Pence, Sarah Kincaid and Keith Larkin, ensured that voters would have no say in the lucrative contract offered to Matthew Huish.
His contract grants him a salary of $180,00 per year, $40,000 more than that paid to (former city manager) Charlie Bush.
It begins Nov. 1, while he is still working for Sandy, Utah.
In other words, Sequim can pay him as much as $30,000 before he actually become Sequim’s full-time city manager in January.
As chief administrative officer, a political appointment, for four years in Sandy, Utah, staff members interviewed during an investigation into a complaint against him, described Mr. Huish as abrasive, condescending, unfriendly and hard to work with.
It is his only municipal government experience.
More concerning is Mr. Larkin’s announcement that the sexual harassment allegations filed against Mr. Huish during his tenure, weren’t worth considering.
An investigation found his behavior did not constitute sexual harassment but was unprofessional and inappropriate.
His emails to the complainant contain messages such as “I just came by your house to see if you could play, but you weren’t home. See you in the sandbox.”
Women do not file such complaints lightly.
What happened to the woman who filed the complaint against Mr. Huish?
Let’s not forget Charisse Deschene was far more qualified and would not have required $17,000 to relocate to Sequim.
What kind of a message does this lucrative contract send to the powerful, smart, competent women on Sequim’s city staff?
Or to the young women of Sequim, for that matter?
Karen Hogan
Sequim