Lacey City Manager Scott Spence accepts job offer in Oregon
Lacey City Manager Scott Spence has accepted a job offer from the city of Astoria, Oregon, to be its next city manager, he said Thursday.
Spence, 51, called it a difficult decision after spending 23 years with the city. He has been city manager since 2011.
“I am privileged to have been here that long,” he said, adding that it was “time for a new opportunity.”
Before he leaves, he is going to work through one more budget process with the city, then either depart in late 2022 or early 2023, he said.
“There is no good time to leave,” Spence said. However, he feels the city is in a good financial position to weather a downturn in the economy, or to take advantage of growth.
He cited the creation of the Lacey Veterans Services Hub, the Lacey Food Pantry (the food bank) and the equity commission as highlights of his tenure. As for unfinished business, he hopes the Regional Athletic Complex continues to expand and that the Lacey MakerSpace, a resource for the business community at Saint Martin’s University, continues to grow.
The new police station is also a “priority for the city,” he said. The proposed location of the future station is just north of Lacey City Hall.
In some ways, Spence is returning to his roots. He was born and raised in Salem, Oregon, and still has family in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere in Oregon.
Although Astoria is a fraction of the size of Lacey, Spence feels it serves as a hub for Clatsop County and the wider north coast of Oregon.
When Spence first went to work in Lacey, the city had a population of 29,000. It’s now 58,000, he said.
“I grew up with the city and raised a family here,” he said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to be in another quality community.”
Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder called Spence’s departure a “big loss” for the city.
“I’m grateful for the time and accomplishments that we have had together, and happy for his family as they take on this new challenge and opportunity,” he said.
“Scott and I have an incredible working relationship, and being on the same page with him and the council about Lacey priorities and vision is a huge reason why Lacey has been so successful during this historic period of growth.”
This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 12:01 PM.
