After outburst about leadership changes, Tumwater has a new city administrator
The Tumwater City Council unanimously approved a contract for Paul Simmons as the new City Administrator on Jan. 6, replacing Lisa Parks as the overseer of day-to-day operations.
Before the vote, council member Peter Agabi raised concerns about the newly-elected mayor’s recent changes in leadership.
Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff recessed the meeting for 10 minutes after Agabi said they shouldn’t be “shoveling resources out the door just because we’re making rash decisions.” He said the city has limited resources to pay severance, and he wondered at what point the council will decide to stop paying severance. After Dahlhoff called a point of order, Agabi told her to “hold your horses.”
After the break, Agabi apologized and said that the work they do can sometimes bring out the worst in them. Dahlhoff joked that the council wanted their first meeting to be memorable. Then the council unanimously approved the contract.
According to council documents, Simmons is currently the director of Business Administration and Planning for Parks Tacoma, with a focus on finance, information technology, Human Resources, planning, and marketing and communications. He was previously the director of the Olympia Parks, Art and Recreation Department for more than 10 years.
The starting salary for the Tumwater position is $219,696 with a start date of Jan. 16, according to council documents.
According to the city’s website, the city administrator is appointed by the mayor as an at-will position and “performs tasks within the statutory authority of the mayor. The city administrator oversees the day-to-day operation of the city, including budget implementation and staff supervision.”
The Olympian confirmed the personnel change with Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff on Dec. 30. She said she’s going in a different direction with leadership in the city. Police Chief Jay Mason’s last day was Jan. 2, and Dahlhoff promoted Deputy Chief Carlos Quiles to lead the department moving forward.
In his announcement on Dec. 15, Mason said he was informed by Dahlhoff of the decision. Dahlhoff told The Olympian that Mason requested the separation, and that his decision was between him and the police guild.
Council member Eileen Swarthout welcomed Simmons to the city at the meeting Tuesday and said she was over the moon when she heard he might be joining the staff. She said while working as a legislative assistant she sat through many meetings, and with each session she had her favorites. Simmons and his Parks and Rec team became a fast favorite, Swarthout said.
“He’s just a good guy and the perfect fit for Tumwater,” she said. “Thank you for choosing us, and welcome to Tumwater, Paul.”
Simmons said the work he does is part of his family: both his son and daughter had to leave the City Council meeting for events in the Parks and Recreation department. He said he’s excited to be raising his family in Tumwater.
“It’s a special community,” he said. “There’s a unique sense of pride in Tumwater that you don’t experience in a lot of communities. I’ve been fortunate enough to live in quite a few communities around the state, and there’s something special about Tumwater, and I’m truly honored and humbled to be a part of it.”
He said his role as city administrator isn’t about him. He said his role is to create an environment where employees and staff feel seen, valued and appreciated, and where they can be successful in their work.
“Things will not always be easy,” Simmons said. “We’re not always going to agree, but I think if we can focus on having good, transparent, open communication and dialog, and if we can work together and stay focused, I think there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish as a community, as a group.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 9:24 PM.
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