Bronson Potter, Vancouver’s chief assistant city attorney, appears poised to succeed Ted Gathe, who retires July 31.
City Manager Eric Holmes told the city council in a June 23 email that Potter has accepted a conditional offer to serve as Vancouver city attorney, subject to confirmation by the council.
The council will formally vote Monday, but a majority of the council has already expressed support. Councilor Bill Turlay will miss Monday’s meeting, but he said Potter was an “outstanding” selection. Councilors Jack Burkman, Larry Smith and Anne McEnerny-Ogle were also quick to congratulate Potter via email.
Potter, 61, has worked for the city for a year. Previously, he spent 22 years at the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office, including five years as chief civil deputy prosecutor and lead counsel to the Board of County Commissioners.
“Over the last year, I have had the pleasure of observing the style and substance of Bronson’s practice of municipal law and his approach with leaders within the organization as well as the city council and community,” Holmes wrote in his email to the council. “I look forward to having him as part of my management leadership team here at the city and working with him too as he leads the city attorney’s office in the context of Vancouver’s next chapter.”
The emails were provided to The Columbian on Thursday under the newspaper’s standing public disclosure request.
The position of Vancouver city attorney has seen very little turnover in the past five decades.
Gathe, 65, has been city attorney since 1994, when he was promoted to replace the late Jerry King.
King was hired in April 1965 to be the city’s first in-house attorney and served nearly 30 years.
Potter’s legal experience includes 12 years in private practice.
He has a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from University of California-Berkeley and earned his law degree from Lewis and Clark College’s Northwestern School of Law.
Suzi Hagstrom, the city’s director of human resources, said Potter will start as city attorney on Aug. 1.
Potter’s annual salary will increase from $125,616 to $145,008, Hagstrom said Thursday.
