One of the seven candidates for Jefferson County administrator received $85,000 in a severance settlement this week after being fired as manager of the small southwestern Washington city of Ridgefield.
But Randy Bombardier denies allegations that he is the subject of civil and criminal investigations. That claim was made in a news release issued earlier this week by Ridgefield’s interim city manager.
“It’s absolutely asinine,” Bombardier said Thursday night in a telephone interview with Peninsula Daily News.
Bombardier refused to talk about the specifics of his firing — including a claim that he retaliated against a whistleblower in a controversy over removal of lead-based paint from Ridgefield City Hall.
“There is no evidence that a case number has ever been assigned to the alleged Bombardier lead-based paint abatement ‘investigation,’ and no formal ongoing inquiry has been substantiated,” said a statement issued Thursday afternoon by Bombardier’s attorney.
Bombardier, who was city manager of Ridgefield from Oct. 1, 2001, until his firing March 11, is scheduled to be interviewed via telephone by Jefferson County commissioners on Monday or Tuesday.
Routine Internet search
The Peninsula Daily News discovered reports of Bombardier’s firing while doing a routine Internet search into the backgrounds of all seven administrator candidates.
The subject of Bombardier’s dismissal will be a subject of discussion during his interview with Jefferson County commissioners.
“I will ask him specifically about this,” said County Commissioner Pat Rodgers, R-Brinnon, Thursday evening.
Rodgers said he wasn’t aware of the firing before being asked to comment by a newspaper reporter, and said he wouldn’t rule Bombardier out as a possible successor to current Administrator David Goldsmith, who is retiring at the end of June.
Rodgers said Bombardier’s resume was the reason he was listed as one of the seven candidates who the commissioners will interview by telephone.
Thirty-nine people applied for the position, which has a top salary of $84,261 annually.
“He was chosen because he had a strong resume,” Rodgers said.