Burien City Manager Placed on Leave After Closed-Door Meeting

Burien city leadership shifted suddenly Monday night after the City Council voted to place City Manager Adolfo Bailon on paid administrative leave.

The decision came at the end of a special meeting that began with only an executive session on the agenda. The council met behind closed doors for about two hours, from 5:30 p.m. to around 7:30 p.m. No public action had been announced ahead of time. But when the council returned, they moved quickly.

Councilmember Hugo Garcia made a motion to place Bailon on leave and put the mayor in charge of selecting the interim city manager. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Sam Mendez. Councilmember Kevin Schilling then proposed an amendment to instead direct the interim city attorney to select an interim city manager. That change was accepted by the full council.

The final vote to place Bailon on leave passed 4 to 3. Voting in favor were Mayor Sarah Moore and councilmembers Garcia, Mendez, and Rocco DeVito. Voting against were Schilling, Linda Akey, and Alex Andrade.

There were no reasons given for the council’s decision to place the city manager on leave.

The meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m.

Sudden changes at City Hall

The move comes as other changes inside City Hall have also surfaced.

City Attorney Garmon Newsom II is no longer with the city. Bailon confirmed it after the meeting, then declined further comment. Newsom had not attended the last two council meetings, and no public explanation had been given.

Interim City Attorney Ann Marie Soto, who was in executive session with the council, has now been directed to select an interim city manager following the council’s action.

Assistant City Attorney Ndiabou “Jabu” Diagana had also been absent in recent weeks, reportedly due to maternity leave.

Questions raised in recent weeks

Tension around the city manager position has been building.

About a month ago, Mayor Sarah Moore said during a public meeting that she believed she had the votes to remove Bailon. That statement raised concern from other councilmembers.

Former mayor Kevin Schilling and Councilmember Linda Akey questioned how that could be known without violating the Open Public Meetings Act, which limits private discussions among a quorum of council members.

An online observer later expressed confusion, noting that the four council members who voted in favor of placing Bailon on leave ran on a platform that emphasized transparency and open government.

Earlier Monday, there were also social media rumors that the city manager could be fired that night. Those posts raised new concerns about possible leaks of city business.

A quiet room, a major decision

Despite the significance of the vote, the meeting itself was sparsely attended.

Only one councilmember, Alex Andrade, was physically present. The rest joined virtually.

In the room were Bailon, three city staff, Major Hamill from the King County Sheriff’s Office, and one Burien resident. Police Chief Tom Calabrese, a normal presence, was not there. The meeting was also missing a parliamentarian, a role normally filled by Attorney Newsom.

What began as a closed-door session ended with one of the biggest leadership changes the city has seen in recent years.

What happens next, and who will be selected as interim city manager, remains unclear.