As Tacoma’s longtime city manager gears up for retirement, Elizabeth Pauli said helping keep city employees safe and productive through the pandemic is among her top accomplishments.
Pauli, 65, served as Tacoma’s city manager for eight years, a key leader in Tacoma’s council-manager form of government, in which the city manager serves as chief executive officer and head of the city government’s administrative branch. Pauli’s departure is one of several leadership transitions on the horizon for Tacoma, which could see turnover in seven of its top positions including mayor, police chief and several City Council positions.
Pauli is leaving behind a city that’s contending with a budget deficit and the ever-changing local impact of a new presidential administration. Though her tenure was not without controversy — which endured up until her final City Council meeting — the outgoing city manager said she is proud of the work she did to maintain city services while keeping employees safe during the pandemic and helping build the city’s financial reserves. The next city manager, she said, likely will need to contend with a long-term solution to the city’s budget woes…