Kennewick Mayor Bill McKay resigns suddenly from city council
Kennewick’s mayor resigned Tuesday night from the city council.
Bill McKay, who has been on the council since 2018, submitted his resignation before Tuesday’s regular meeting, effective immediately.
He was selected as mayor by fellow council members in 2022.
His resignation letter was short, and did not specify why he is stepping down mid-term. He had two years left on his at-large Position 4 seat.
“As of today, I am resigning from my position as mayor and as a member of city council. It has been a pleasure to serve the citizens of Kennewick, but am looking forward to spending more time with family and seeing the world. Wish you all the best.”
Mayor Pro Tem Gretl Crawford led Tuesday’s meeting and will continue to do so until the first regular meeting in January when the council is scheduled to select the next two-year term for the mayor and mayor pro tem positions, according to a news release from the city.
Crawford read McKay’s resignation at the beginning of the meeting and later several council members praised McKay’s long service to the Tri-Cities.
Crawford also moved to remove an executive session item that was on the board’s agenda to “evaluate complaints or charges brought against a public officer or employee.”
That item was taken off the agenda also at the beginning of the meeting, but it is unclear whether that item was related to McKay’s resignation.
While on the council, McKay was a strong advocate for development, such as the long sought approval for development on Thompson Hill.
The council will now appoint a replacement for his seat until an election can be held. A notice of vacancy will be posted and anyone interested can apply and will be considered by the council.
McKay is the third member of Kennewick’s leadership to announce his departure recently. City Manager Marie Mosley announced her retirement, set for the end of the year, and last month the city’s Finance Director and Deputy City Manager Dan Legard announced he was leaving for the Chelan PUD in December. Legard was Mosley’s choice to replace her, but the council chose to begin a search process to find her successor.
Applications for the city manager position have not yet opened, and the process is expected to wrap up the week Mosley retires. The city began the process of naming City Attorney Lisa Beaton the interim city manager to help with the transition.
McKay has lived in Kennewick since 1996 to work at Iowa Beef Processing before becoming a loan officer at Sterling Bank, according to his city of Kennewick profile. He and his wife own 27th Ave. Self-Storage.
The couple have four adult children, including son Bill McKay who is currently a Benton County commissioner.
McKay was named in a 2021 ethics complaint alleging he and two fellow council members violated Open Meeting laws, filed by former Mayor Don Britain. But that claim was later dismissed.
