The Village by the Sea’s head of the Finance Department is resigning – this time, for certain.
In a staff report shared at the most recent city council meeting, Langley Finance Director Wanda Grone wrote that she has announced her retirement from the city effective Oct. 31.
Councilmember Chris Carlson said though it was a sad announcement, he felt appreciation for how Grone stabilized the city’s financial operations.
“You’ve put us into a much, much better position, set us up and your successor for just continuing that improvement,” he said.
Councilmember Craig Cyr noted that besides being a city employee, Grone also served as a volunteer on the city’s citizen-led Finance and Personnel Legislative Commission, bringing her expertise and connections to the table.
“Personally, I appreciated developing a friendly working relationship with you, so thanks so much for all your work,” he said. “Langley is really in a debt.”
Grone, who has been in her role with the city since January 2023, has had a short but eventful tenure, punctuated by the city’s financial woes. In June 2023, she submitted her resignation under a former mayor, Scott Chaplin, over a disagreement about financial mismanagement. She rescinded her resignation, however, after a new action plan was successfully formed.
The former Island County treasurer and a 2024 candidate for Island County commissioner, Grone took the position with the city of Langley that had been vacant for eight months, knowing the organization needed some stability.
“But there is only so much I can do here, and to be frank, constantly fixing things and putting out fires is not how I envisioned spending my time,” she said, adding that she is ready for someone else to take over the position.
“There are a lot of things that I think could be done more efficiently, but there does not seem to be much of an appetite for that around here,” she said.
She said that it’s time for the next generation to use their talents to create positive change.
The job posting on the city’s website for the finance director lists an annual salary range between $85,605 and $112,693.
