Port of Olympia chief gets raise despite public opposition, performance review dispute
The Port of Olympia commission voted 2-1 on Monday to give Executive Director Sam Gibboney, who currently is on medical leave, a 4 percent boost in pay that increases her salary to $198,876 from $191,227.
The increase is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023. Commissioners Joe Downing and Bob Iyall voted for the increase, while Commissioner Amy Evans Harding did not.
The commission voted on her salary because Gibboney’s performance review for 2022 was recently completed. However, that review had been the focus of some controversy. In April, Evans Harding proposed to put Gibboney on administrative leave after Gibboney recommended changes to the commission’s performance review of her, a move that struck Evans Harding as a serious error in judgment.
“To recommend changes to a truthful review is not demonstrating good professional conduct or judgment,” Evans Harding wrote in a statement at the time.
But on Monday, before the vote, members of the public voiced their own issues with the raise. Several people urged them not to approve Gibboney’s raise, including Debbie Pattin, who is chairwoman of the port’s citizen advisory committee.
Pattin framed her comments around a relatively new union at the port, Local 47B, that she said still doesn’t have a contract. She said contract negotiations have gone on for more than a year with a group of people earning around $20 per hour.
“I just think it’s inappropriate to grant someone a raise who is already making that much money,” she said, adding that the port shouldn’t be hiring managers who make more than $100,000 until “rank-and-file, boots-on-the-ground workers are receiving a fair and equitable wage.”
The port needs to support the women and men who make the port run, she said.
“I can’t even fathom the thought of giving someone a raise who is already making $191,000,” Pattin said. “It’s just wrong.”
Resident Lee Riner reminded the commission about the vote of no confidence that Gibboney received from employees, and echoed Pattin’s comments about the union. She questioned why the commission was entertaining a 4 percent raise.
“That doesn’t make sense to me,” Riner said.
Then Jeri Sevier stepped up to speak. Sevier spent more than 20 years at the port, including as its former human resources director.
Her separation agreement with the port prevents her from talking about the executive director, so she talked about recent staff turnover at the port, which she said has been more than 60 percent. She also identified those who left the port in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Based on her research, she said the ideal turnover rate is never more than 10 percent. If it’s higher than 15 percent, then it’s time to look at the culture of the organization.
“People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers,” she told the commission. Sevier, who left the port in 2021, said prior to that staff turnover was never more than 10 percent at the port and it was a “great place to work.”
She then asked two questions of the commission: Does the commission want the port to be successful? Do you think a 60 percent turnover rate is efficient?
“Thank you for your time,” she said.
The port commission does not respond to public comment. Prior to the vote, Commissioners Downing and Iyall made some brief comments.
Downing pointed out that all port employees received a 4 percent raise at the start of the year. Iyall said he appreciated the public comment, and that he understood those positions, but the raise was warranted.
“I do feel like in order for us to be supportive of all of our port staff, this is something we should approve,” he said.
Commissioner Evans Harding voted against the raise without comment.
This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
