The Battle Ground City Council voted 4-3 on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, to terminate the contract of City Manager Kris Swanson without cause. The decision follows a period of internal tension involving a third-party investigation into allegations of improper code enforcement and claims of employee retaliation.
Swanson joined the city as interim manager in April 2024. According to reporting by The Reflector, her transition to Battle Ground followed a dismissal from the city of Longview in March 2024, where she was also terminated without cause in a 4-3 vote. The Battle Ground council was similarly split, with Councilmembers Shane Bowman, Troy McCoy, and Jeanie Kuypers voting against the termination. The meeting drew attendance from Longview officials, including Councilmember Kalei LaFave and former Mayor Spencer Boudreau.
Mayor Eric Overholser, who supported the termination, stated that Swanson has a 30-day response period regarding the resolution. The move comes despite a recent performance evaluation that reportedly gave Swanson a score of 3.56 out of 5.0. During the meeting, Councilmember Bowman questioned the process, noting that an executive session was added to the agenda on short notice and that some council members were initially denied access to letters from employees that influenced the decision.
The Reflector obtained two letters from city employees that were sent to the mayor following a June 2026 investigation by Sound Workplace Investigations. The investigation, led by Paige Dietrich, was initiated in April 2026 to examine claims that Swanson had targeted a specific property owner at 14 NE 2nd Avenue to force a sale to the city. While Dietrich found it unlikely that the code enforcement case was intended to force a sale, she noted the initiation of the case was unusual because it was opened at Swanson’s request in February 2025 without a recorded complaint.
The employee letters, which were disclosed to The Reflector by one of the City Councilors who voted against Swanson’s dismissal, allege retaliatory behavior by Swanson following the release of the investigative report:
- One employee alleged Swanson called a private meeting in July to express disappointment over their testimony, sliding a copy of the report across the desk.
- The same employee reported that Swanson suggested her own notes as a former auditor superseded the witness’s recollection of events.
- A second employee expressed fear of retaliation due to their role in the investigation and raised concerns about leadership patterns that prioritized inflexible personal expectations over operational needs.
Dietrich’s report noted varying levels of anxiety among police department employees who participated in the investigation, with several expressing fear for their professional integrity and job security. Mayor Overholser stated that the city’s legal team is currently reviewing the letters and that they may be subject to future public records requests.
This leadership change in Battle Ground follows other recent administrative shifts in the region. As previously reported on July 31, 2026, Washougal City Manager David Scott recently announced his retirement for April 2027. Longview has also seen a transition in leadership; as previously reported on August 4, 2026, the city now operates under City Manager Jennifer Wills.
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